Amazon Vendor Central EDI: Complete Setup Guide for Suppliers (2026)
Amazon charges suppliers 3–10% of PO value for missing or late 855s, 856s, and 810s. This guide covers everything you need to set up EDI for Vendor Central and avoid those chargebacks.
Updated May 2026 · 10 min read · Christopher Rosecrans
Amazon Vendor Central EDI at a glance
EDI Standard
ANSI X12 4010/5010
Protocol
AS2 / SFTP / VAN
Portal
Vendor Central
Chargeback risk
3–10% of PO value
Amazon Vendor Central vs. Amazon Seller Central
This guide covers Vendor Central (1P) — the channel where Amazon buys directly from you as a wholesale supplier. Amazon sends you a Purchase Order (EDI 850), you fulfill it, and Amazon resells the products.
Seller Central (3P) is the marketplace channel where you sell directly to consumers. Seller Central uses its own API-based integration, not traditional EDI. If you are using Seller Central, this guide does not apply.
Vendor Central is invitation-only. If Amazon has invited you to become a vendor, you will need to comply with their EDI requirements before you can receive and fulfill purchase orders at scale.
Required EDI transaction sets
| Code | Document | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 850 | Purchase Order | Inbound | Amazon sends POs via Vendor Central; ASIN and UPC mapping both required |
| 855 | PO Acknowledgment | Outbound | Must respond within 24 hours — late/missing triggers 3–10% chargeback |
| 856 | Advance Ship Notice | Outbound | SSCC-18 labels required on all handling units; one ASN per shipment |
| 810 | Invoice | Outbound | Must match PO exactly; late or inaccurate triggers 3–10% of PO value |
| 846 | Inventory Inquiry/Advice | Inbound | Real-time inventory snapshot from Amazon; can be daily or more frequent |
| 820 | Remittance Advice | Inbound | Payment notification; reconcile against each 810 invoice |
Additional documents you may need: EDI 753/754 (Routing Request/Instructions — required for collect shipments where Amazon arranges freight), EDI 860 (PO Change Request).
The 855 PO Acknowledgment: the 24-hour rule
Amazon's most aggressively enforced EDI requirement is the 24-hour 855 acknowledgment window. When Amazon sends you a Purchase Order (EDI 850), you must send back a Purchase Order Acknowledgment (EDI 855) within 24 hours — or face a chargeback of 3–10% of the PO value.
The 855 can acknowledge the order in three ways:
- AC — Accepted as submitted — You will fulfill the PO exactly as ordered
- AD — Accepted with changes — You will fulfill but with quantity or date modifications
- RJ — Rejected — You cannot fulfill the PO; Amazon will reorder or source elsewhere
Most EDI platforms can be configured to auto-generate an 855 AC immediately upon receipt of an 850, giving you the full 24 hours to actually review the order. This is the safest approach if your order volumes are high or if you receive POs outside business hours.
⚠️ The 24-hour rule applies 7 days a week
Amazon sends POs on weekends and holidays. Configure your EDI system to acknowledge 850s automatically — don't rely on someone checking email on Saturday morning.
ASIN and UPC mapping: getting it right from day one
Amazon's EDI 850 includes both the ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) and the UPC/GTINat the line level. Your EDI mapping must correctly parse both, and your downstream systems (ERP, warehouse, order management) must be able to receive and process orders using Amazon's identifiers.
Common ASIN/UPC mapping mistakes that cause downstream problems:
- Your ERP only knows products by your internal SKU — you need a cross-reference table from Amazon ASIN to your SKU
- Multiple ASINs map to the same UPC (bundle products, packs) — each ASIN needs a separate mapping
- UPC changes after a product update — old mappings cause ASN mismatches and chargebacks
Before your first production PO, build a complete ASIN-to-SKU mapping table and verify it against Vendor Central's item list. Update it every time you add or change a product in Vendor Central.
856 ASN requirements and SSCC-18 labels
The 856 Advance Ship Notice must be sent before the shipment arrivesat Amazon's fulfillment center. Amazon is strict about timing — a late 856 triggers chargebacks even if the shipment arrives on time.
What the 856 must include:
- Shipment-level data: carrier, PRO/BOL number, shipping date, Amazon destination code
- Order-level data: Amazon PO number, your acknowledgment number from the 855
- Pack-level data: number of cartons, SSCC-18 code for each carton
- Item-level data: ASIN, UPC, quantity, unit of measure
Every handling unit (carton and pallet) must have a GS1-128 label with an SSCC-18 code. The SSCC code in the label barcode must match the SSCC code in the EDI 856 exactly. Amazon's receiving system scans labels at the dock and reconciles them against the ASN in real time. Any mismatch creates a receiving exception.
SSCC-18 generation requires a GS1 Company Prefix. If you don't have one, register at gs1us.org (typically takes 1–2 business days). Your EDI platform should handle SSCC generation automatically once your GS1 prefix is configured.
Free: Amazon EDI compliance checklist
Every transaction set, label requirement, chargeback trigger, and testing deadline for Amazon and 23 more major retailers — in one printable PDF. Used by 3,000+ SMB suppliers.
Amazon chargeback reference: the numbers that matter
| Violation | Chargeback amount |
|---|---|
| Late or missing 855 PO Acknowledgment | 3–10% of PO value |
| Late or missing 856 ASN | 3–10% of shipment value |
| ASN/label mismatch (SSCC code doesn't match physical label) | Per-unit deduction |
| Late or inaccurate 810 Invoice | 3–10% of PO value |
| Missing or incorrect SSCC-18 labels on handling units | Per-carton deduction |
| Incorrect ASIN on 856 or 810 | Invoice rejection |
AS2 setup for Vendor Central
Amazon supports three transport methods: AS2, SFTP, and VAN. AS2 is the most widely used and the one Amazon recommends for new suppliers.
To set up AS2 with Amazon:
- Log into Vendor Central and navigate to Settings → EDI Integration
- Download Amazon's AS2 certificate and note your assigned AS2 ID (format:
amazon-vcm-prod) - Provide Amazon with your AS2 URL and your public certificate
- Configure your EDI platform or AS2 software with Amazon's endpoint URL, their certificate for encryption, and your own AS2 credentials
- Send a test 997 to confirm the connection before submitting EDI test documents
If you use an EDI SaaS provider, they will manage the AS2 connection on your behalf. Provide them with your Vendor Central AS2 credentials and they will handle the certificate exchange and endpoint configuration.
Testing and go-live timeline
Amazon's EDI testing process is self-service through Vendor Central — there is no dedicated EDI coordinator assigned to most new suppliers. You submit test transactions, review 997 responses in the portal, and iterate until all documents pass validation.
Typical timeline for a new Vendor Central supplier using a platform with pre-built Amazon mapping:
- Day 1–3: Vendor Central EDI setup, AS2 connection test, ASIN mapping loaded
- Day 3–7: 850/855 test cycle — common issues: ASIN format, date qualifiers
- Day 7–14: 856 ASN testing — SSCC generation, hierarchy levels, label matching
- Day 14–21: 810 Invoice testing — ASIN/UPC/quantity reconciliation
- Day 21–30: Production go-live; monitor first 5–10 POs closely
Go live without the 3–10% penalty
The suppliers who hit Amazon's chargebacks most often are the ones who rushed the 855 configuration, skipped SSCC testing, or assumed their ERP would handle ASIN mapping automatically. All three are avoidable.
The ones who go live cleanly are the ones who set up auto-acknowledgment for 855s, validated SSCC generation against physical labels before shipping, and used an EDI provider with a tested Amazon mapping rather than building their own.