EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) standards define how business documents are structured for electronic exchange. Different regions and industries use different standards, each with unique syntax rules and message types. This guide covers the major EDI standards you need to know.
UN/EDIFACT is the global standard, ANSI X12 dominates North America, and regional standards like TRADACOMS and VDA serve specific markets.
United Nations Directories for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport
Region: Worldwide (especially Europe, Asia, Africa)
Governing Body: UN/CEFACT
First Published: 1987
Delimiter: + (element), : (component), ' (segment)
Message Types: 200+ (ORDERS, INVOIC, DESADV, etc.)
American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Committee X12
Region: North America (USA, Canada)
Governing Body: ASC X12
First Published: 1979
Delimiter: * (element), : (sub-element), ~ (segment)
Message Types: 300+ (850, 810, 856, etc.)
Trading Data Communications Standards
Region: United Kingdom
Governing Body: GS1 UK
Status: Legacy (being replaced by EDIFACT)
Primary Industry: UK Retail
Message Types: ~20 (ORDHDR, INVFIL, DLCDET, etc.)
Verband der Automobilindustrie (German Automotive Industry Association)
Region: Germany (global automotive)
Governing Body: VDA
Primary Use: Automotive supply chain
Format: Fixed-width records
Message Types: VDA 4905, VDA 4913, etc.
Organisation for Data Exchange by Tele Transmission in Europe
Region: European Automotive
Relationship: Uses EDIFACT subsets
Primary Industry: Automotive
File Transfer: OFTP/OFTP2 protocol
| Standard | Region | Industries | Purchase Order | Invoice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN/EDIFACT | Global | All | ORDERS | INVOIC |
| ANSI X12 | North America | All | 850 | 810 |
| TRADACOMS | UK | Retail | ORDHDR | INVFIL |
| VDA | Germany | Automotive | 4905 | 4906 |
Ultimately, your trading partners dictate which standard you must support. Many companies need to support multiple standards to trade globally.
Use our free online tool to instantly format, view, and analyze your EDIFACT and EDI messages.
Open EDIFACT Formatter →