X12 segment reference
DTM — Date/Time Reference
Understand the X12 DTM segment: qualifier-driven dates for orders, ships, deliveries, and service periods across 850, 856, 810, and healthcare sets.
DTM segment facts
- DTM01 qualifiers change the meaning of the same date value — a mislabeled requested-ship vs delivery date causes routing and compliance errors.
- Retailers often mandate specific DTM qualifiers on 850 and 856 for appointment scheduling and on-time scoring.
- SignalEDI maps DTM qualifiers to named JSON fields (requestedShipDate, deliveryDate) so operators avoid raw qualifier lookups.
What the DTM segment does
DTM carries qualifier-coded dates and times used throughout X12 documents — requested ship dates, delivery windows, invoice dates, and service periods. DTM01 says which date the DTM02 value represents.
Loop: Header or detail level, repeating
Key elements
| Element | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DTM01 | Date/time qualifier | 002=delivery requested, 010=requested ship, 011=shipped, 003=invoice — partner guides specify required codes. |
| DTM02 | Date | CCYYMMDD; the most common format for retail and supply-chain DTM dates. |
| DTM03 | Time | HHMM when a time component is required (e.g. delivery appointments). |
Example DTM segment
DTM*010*20260609~
Parse and validate samples with the free EDI validator or send JSON via the JSON→X12 mapping guide.
Common DTM errors
- Wrong DTM01 qualifier for the partner's requested-ship vs delivery rule
- Date format drift (CCYYMMDD vs YYMMDD) against the implementation guide
- Missing mandatory DTM when the retailer requires a delivery window
Related reference
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
DTM01 = 010 commonly indicates the requested ship date, while 002 indicates a requested delivery date. Always confirm against the partner guide.