To start and identify an interchange of zero or more functional groups and interchange-related control segments
UPS X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest
X12 856 (Ship Notice/Manifest) is the EDI transaction exchanged between UPS (UPS Plus) and its trading partners. Stacksync handles full compliance, mapping, and real-time delivery.
- Segments
- 22
- Loops
- 2
- X12 856
- All partners ↗
Transaction context
Where 856 Ship Notice/Manifest fits on UPS Plus
On UPS Plus, the X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest follows the 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment in the Order-to-cash cycle.
- UPS channels
- 1 of 1
- Trading partners
- 350
- Channels
- 457
1 of UPS's 1 channel carries 856
partners across the Stacksync network trade 856
channels network-wide carry 856
Most common alongside 856
The 856 Ship Notice/Manifest, known in practice as the Advance Ship Notice (ASN), describes the contents and packing configuration of a shipment before it arrives, using nested hierarchical levels for shipment, order, pack, and item. Buyers use it to schedule dock labor and to match scanned GS1 carton labels against expected contents at receiving. Retail compliance programs treat the ASN as mandatory, and ASN errors are widely reported to generate more supplier chargebacks than any other EDI document type. Sent by the supplier, or a 3PL shipping on its behalf, to the buyer (retailer or distributor) at the time the order ships.
When it fires: A packed order is ship-confirmed and tendered to the carrier; the warehouse system generates the 856 so it reaches the buyer before the goods do.
Common 856 rejection causes
- SSCC-18 on the physical carton label does not match the SSCC in the ASN, so receiving scans fail and cartons are processed manually.
- Quantities in the ASN differ from what was physically packed or from the purchase order, a chargeback event commonly billed at 25 to 200 USD per incident.
- ASN transmitted after the truck arrives, or never sent, which retailers penalize regardless of whether the physical shipment was accurate.
- HL hierarchy (shipment/order/pack/item) flattened or nested incorrectly during mapping, causing receiving systems to misread carton contents.
Specification summary
X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest at the element level
The X12 856 specification defines 32 segments carrying 147 data elements, 50 of which are mandatory.
- Segments
- 32
- Data elements
- 147
- Mandatory elements
- 50
| Segment | Elements | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| BSN | 6 | 4 |
| HL | 3 | 2 |
| LIN | 19 | 2 |
| SN1 | 4 | 2 |
| PRF | 2 | 1 |
| PID | 3 | 1 |
| REF | 2 | 1 |
| MAN | 4 | 2 |
| DTM | 3 | 1 |
| FOB | 4 | 1 |
| N1 | 4 | 1 |
| N3 | 2 | 1 |
Key identifiers in 856
- Transaction Set Purpose Code
- Shipment Identification
- Date
- Time
- Hierarchical ID Number
- Hierarchical Level Code
- Product/Service ID Qualifier
- Product/Service ID
Full segment guideline — 22 segments 2 loops · X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest
To indicate the beginning of a functional group and to provide control information
To indicate the start of a transaction set and to assign a control number
To transmit identifying numbers, dates, and other basic data relating to the transaction set
HL Loop Repeat: 200,000
To identify dependencies among and the content of hierarchically related groups of data segments
To specify basic item identification data
To specify line-item detail relative to shipment
To provide reference to a specific purchase order
To specify the physical qualities, packaging, weights, and dimensions relating to the item
To indicate the end of the transaction set and provide the count of the transmitted segments (including the beginning (ST) and ending (SE) segments)
To describe a product or process in coded or free-form format
To describe marking, packaging, loading, and unloading requirements
To specify the carrier and sequence of routing and provide transit time information
To specify identifying information
To indicate identifying marks and numbers for shipping containers
To specify pertinent dates and times
N1 Loop Repeat: 200
To identify a party by type of organization, name, and code
To specify additional names or those longer than 35 characters in length
To specify the location of the named party
To specify the geographic place of the named party
To identify and answer yes and no questions, including the date, time, and comments further qualifying the condition
To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed
Trading partners
4+ trading partners.
And every channel covered.
We connect to every major retailer, distributor, and 3PL on the EDI network. Type to search the directory, or browse the full catalogue.
UPS UPS Plus EDI 856 FAQ
Common questions about 856 Ship Notice/Manifest on the UPS Plus channel.
What is X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest?
X12 856 (Ship Notice/Manifest) is the EDI transaction set used to exchange ship notice/manifest data. UPS's UPS Plus channel requires it from trading partners.
Does UPS UPS Plus require 856 for trading partners?
Yes, UPS (UPS Plus) supports X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest. Stacksync handles the full integration so your team can focus on operations.
How fast can I integrate UPS 856 with Stacksync?
Most companies go live with UPS 856 on Stacksync in days. Pre-built mappings, no-code setup, and real-time monitoring make EDI compliance straightforward.
Which documents accompany 856 on UPS Plus?
On UPS Plus, X12 856 is typically exchanged alongside 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment. Stacksync maps each document into the same ERP or WMS workflow, so the full cycle stays in sync end to end.
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