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Which EDI message types are there? ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC and more

ORDERS is the purchase order, DESADV the despatch advice and INVOIC the invoice: these three EDIFACT messages form the core of most EDI connections. Depending on the industry, they are joined by order responses, order changes, delivery schedules, receiving advices and price catalogues. Here you will find the most important message types with their purpose, direction and typical industry, based on the UNECE definitions.

Last updated 18 October 2026 · fokus it solutions, Jens Musleh

How EDI messages are named

Every EDIFACT message has a short name in capital letters, such as ORDERS or DESADV. The name appears in the UNH header segment of every message, together with the directory it is based on (for example D.96A or D.01B). What a message looks like in detail is explained on EDIFACT explained.

UNECE describes most of these messages as independent of industry and type of business. Industry associations then decide which parts they use: GS1 with EANCOM for retail and consumer goods, the German automotive association VDA with its own recommendations for the automotive industry. The name stays the same, but the content can still differ.

ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC and other messages at a glance

Message UNECE name Purpose Direction Typical industry
ORDERS Purchase order orders goods or services on agreed terms customer to supplier all industries, in retail via EANCOM
ORDCHG Purchase order change request requests a change to an order, up to cancellation customer to supplier all industries
ORDRSP Purchase order response responds to an order or an order change supplier to customer all industries, in retail via EANCOM
DESADV Despatch advice (advance shipping notice) announces goods that have been despatched or are ready for despatch supplier to customer retail (EANCOM), automotive (VDA 4987)
RECADV Receiving advice reports actual goods receipt and discrepancies customer to supplier retail (EANCOM)
INVOIC Invoice requests payment; also used as a credit note or debit note supplier to customer retail (EANCOM), automotive (VDA 4938)
DELFOR Delivery schedule transmits short- to long-term requirements and delivery dates customer to supplier automotive (VDA 4984)
DELJIT Delivery just in time precise delivery times and sequences for just-in-time customer to supplier automotive (VDA 4985, 4986)
PRICAT Price/sales catalogue prices and item master data usually supplier to customer retail (EANCOM)
APERAK Application error and acknowledgement confirms receipt by the application or reports errors recipient to sender all industries
CONTRL Syntax and service report reports whether an interchange was syntactically correct recipient to sender all industries

The “Typical industry” column shows where the message is explicitly mentioned in the cited recommendations from GS1 Germany and the VDA. That does not mean it is not used elsewhere.

The messages in detail

According to UNECE, ORDERS is a message specifying details for goods or services ordered under conditions agreed between buyer and seller. It can have one line item or many. Several delivery dates within one order are also provided for.

The buyer sends ORDCHG when it wants to change an order. According to UNECE, it can use it to change line items or cancel them. Whether your partner uses ORDCHG is set out in its implementation guide.

ORDRSP is the supplier's response to ORDERS or ORDCHG. It confirms the order, rejects line items or proposes different quantities and dates.

DESADV describes goods that have been despatched or are ready for despatch. Depending on the implementation guide, it includes quantities, packages and delivery note numbers. The customer can use it to prepare for goods receipt before the goods arrive. According to UNECE, the same message is also used for returns.

RECADV reports the physical receipt of goods. The message can confirm that everything matches the despatch advice or report discrepancies in products, quantities and packages.

INVOIC is the request for payment for goods or services supplied. According to UNECE, with the appropriate qualification it also serves as a credit note or debit note.

DELFOR goes from the partner that consumes material to the one that has to supply it. The message contains short-term delivery requirements and medium- to long-term planning. It is based on an existing framework agreement or delivery schedule.

According to UNECE, DELJIT supplements the DELFOR delivery schedule with precise delivery sequences and just-in-time dates. In the automotive industry, for example, it controls deliveries in the order of production.

PRICAT transmits prices and catalogue data. It can also come from the buyer, for example to accept or reject a price catalogue.

APERAK and CONTRL are acknowledgements. CONTRL confirms the syntax and is defined in ISO 9735 part 4. According to UNECE, APERAK reports that a message has reached the recipient's application or has been rejected because of errors. In operation, the difference matters. A file can be syntactically correct and still be rejected, for example because an item number is unknown.

From purchase order to invoice

In retail and many industrial sectors, an order goes through six steps, although not every partner requires every step:

  1. Your customer sends an ORDERS message.
  2. You confirm with an ORDRSP or report discrepancies.
  3. If anything changes, an ORDCHG arrives, which you again answer with an ORDRSP.
  4. On despatch, a DESADV goes to the customer before the goods arrive.
  5. If agreed, the customer reports the posted goods receipt with a RECADV.
  6. Finally, you send the INVOIC, and the customer matches it against the order and goods receipt.

In the automotive industry, the process usually starts not with an individual order but with regular delivery schedules (DELFOR), in which the customer reports its requirements, supplemented where necessary by just-in-time schedules (DELJIT). You deliver and send the despatch advice (DESADV), followed by the invoice or, under the customer's self-billing process, a credit note (INVOIC). The VDA recommendations behind this are described on VDA and Global standards.

Which messages your customer requires

Which message types you need is set by your partner in its EDI implementation guide. Three examples of what such requirements can look like:

  • Retail: ORDERS inbound, DESADV and INVOIC outbound, possibly ORDRSP.
  • Automotive supplier: DELFOR inbound, DESADV outbound, plus INVOIC or the customer's self-billing process.
  • Industry with framework agreements: ORDERS or DELFOR inbound, ORDRSP and DESADV outbound.

Pay attention to the direction. You process inbound messages; outbound messages, by contrast, you have to generate from your ERP system, with all the mandatory fields the partner requires, in the structure its implementation guide prescribes. That is usually the larger part of the work, because data such as packages or batches has to be available in the ERP system. The EDI implementation guide checklist gives tips on reading an implementation guide, and What is EDI? explains the basics.

Message types in edi-service.eu

edi-service.eu processes inbound messages such as purchase orders, order changes and delivery schedules in EDIFACT, EANCOM and VDA. In the other direction, it generates despatch advice, invoice and order confirmation to the partner. Questions about the scope are answered in the FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a DESADV and a delivery note?

The DESADV is the electronic advance notice of the delivery; the delivery note travels with the goods. Their content overlaps heavily, but the DESADV reaches the customer first. The customer can use it to plan goods receipt and check labels.

Do I have to answer every ORDERS with an ORDRSP?

Only if your partner requires it in its implementation guide. Some customers expect an order response within a fixed period, others none at all. If the guide says nothing about it, ask before you start.

Is an EDIFACT INVOIC an e-invoice?

An INVOIC is a structured electronic invoice. Whether it meets the legal requirements for an e-invoice in your case depends on the agreement and the content. More on this under EDI, web EDI and e-invoicing.

What is the difference between DELFOR and DELJIT?

DELFOR transmits requirements for the coming days, weeks and months; DELJIT gives precise times and sequences for delivery in step with production. DELJIT supplements DELFOR but does not replace it.

What does an APERAK error message mean?

Your partner has received your message but could not process it in its system. The APERAK can give the reason, for example an unknown item number. The fix is to correct the data and resend the message.

If you would like to know whether your message types are a good fit for edi-service.eu, you can send an enquiry.

Sources

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