5 Best Ways to Read Walmart EDI Files in 2025
Walmart sends purchase orders, inventory reports, and payment remittances as X12 EDI files. As a vendor, you need to read these files quickly to fulfill orders on time. This guide compares 5 proven methods—from Walmart's free Retail Link portal to text editors, CSV converters, Excel macros, and full EDI software—ranking them by speed, cost, and best use cases.
Quick Comparison Table
| Method | Speed | Cost (Year 1) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Link GEM | 5-10 min/file | Free | Walmart-only vendors, manual workflow |
| PlainEDI CSV Converter | 30 seconds | $468-$1,188 | 1-10 retailers, batch processing |
| Text Editor (Notepad++) | 2-5 min/file | Free | Debugging, one-time reads |
| Excel VBA Macro | 1-3 min/file | $500-$2,000 setup | In-house Excel workflows, custom parsing |
| Full EDI Software | Real-time | $15,000-$50,000 | 5+ retailers, automated transmission |
1. Walmart Retail Link GEM (Global Enterprise Mailbox)
Ranking: #5 (Best for: Walmart-only vendors with low order volume)
What It Is
Walmart's Global Enterprise Mailbox (GEM) is a free web portal within Retail Link where vendors download EDI files directly from Walmart. You access 850 purchase orders, 810 invoice acknowledgments, and 997 functional acknowledgments through your browser.
How It Works
- Log in to Retail Link: Navigate to Apps → EDI-B2B → Global Enterprise Mailbox
- Access Inbox: Click Inbox on the left menu to view a list of documents (Purchase Orders, 997 FAs, etc.)
- Download EDI file: Click the Document Number link to view details, then download the raw .edi file
- Open in text editor or upload to converter: GEM doesn't parse EDI—you still need another tool to read the contents
Testing EDI Files
Under "Test EDI Data", you can download sample 850 files for different scenarios. This is invaluable for testing your parsing setup before live orders arrive. Click "Download 850" to get a sample file with Walmart's specific data structure (MABD dates, department numbers, GLN ship-to addresses).
Pros
- Free: No software costs
- Official source: Direct from Walmart, no intermediary VAN delays
- Test files available: Download sample 850s to validate your workflow
- Documentation included: EDI transaction guides available in GEM under "EDI Application Documentation"
Cons
- Manual download required: No API or automation—you must log in daily to check for new orders
- No parsing built-in: GEM provides raw EDI files; you still need to parse them with another tool
- Walmart-only: Doesn't help if you sell to Target, Amazon, Home Depot, or other retailers
- Slow for batch processing: Downloading and manually processing 20+ POs/day takes hours
Time Investment
5-10 minutes per file (download + manual data entry into ERP/spreadsheet). For 50 POs/month, that's 4-8 hours of manual work.
Cost Analysis
Year 1 cost: $0 software + 8 hours/month labor at $25/hr = $2,400/year in labor
Ongoing cost: $2,400/year labor
Best For
- Walmart-only vendors with <20 POs/month
- Vendors who manually enter POs into ERP anyway (no automation needed)
- Testing EDI setup before going live
When to Avoid
- You sell to multiple retailers (Target, Amazon, etc.)—GEM only handles Walmart
- You process 50+ POs/month—manual downloading becomes a bottleneck
- You need automated workflows—GEM has no API or batch export
2. PlainEDI CSV Converter (Recommended)
Ranking: #1 (Best for: Multi-retailer vendors, fast CSV import to ERP)
What It Is
PlainEDI is a web-based EDI to CSV converter that parses Walmart EDI files (850, 855, 856, 810, 820, 846, 997) into labeled spreadsheets in 30 seconds. Upload your .edi file, preview the parsed data, and download a CSV ready for QuickBooks, Excel, or ERP import.
How It Works
- Upload Walmart EDI file: Drag-and-drop or select your .edi file from Retail Link GEM
- Preview parsed data: PlainEDI automatically detects Walmart's format and extracts key fields (PO number, MABD date, department, item UPC, quantity, price, ship-to GLN)
- Download CSV: Export to CSV with human-readable column headers
- Import to ERP: Upload CSV to QuickBooks (via SaasAnt Transactions $10-$29/mo), NetSuite, or Excel
Walmart-Specific Features
- MABD date extraction: Must-Arrive-By-Date from DTM*002 segment automatically parsed to MM/DD/YYYY format
- Department number: Walmart department from REF*DP segment (critical for routing orders internally)
- Ship-to GLN: 13-digit Global Location Number from N1*ST*92 segment (identifies Walmart DC or store)
- UPC validation: Flags invalid UPCs in PO1 segment (prevents fulfillment errors)
Pros
- Fastest method: 30 seconds from EDI upload to CSV download vs. 5-10 min manual reading
- Multi-retailer support: Works for Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco, Best Buy, AutoZone, Albertsons, Kroger (10 retailers total)
- No setup required: Web-based tool, no software installation
- Affordable: Starting at $3.90/file (10-pack) vs. $15K+ for full EDI software
- Free preview: Upload and view first 10 lines before paying (validates parsing accuracy)
Cons
- Manual upload: Still requires downloading files from Retail Link GEM first (no direct API connection to Walmart)
- No outbound EDI transmission: Doesn't send 856 ASNs or 810 invoices back to Walmart (you must use Walmart's DSV Portal or full EDI software for that)
- Pay-per-export model: Costs accumulate if processing 100+ files/month (consider Unlimited plan at $99/mo)
Time Investment
30 seconds per file. For 50 POs/month, that's 25 minutes total.
Cost Analysis
Low volume (4 files/month): 10-pack $39 lasts 2.5 months = $468/year
Medium volume (50 files/month): Unlimited $99/mo = $1,188/year
High volume (200 files/month): Unlimited $99/mo = $1,188/year
5-year TCO: $5,940 (unlimited plan) vs. $15K-$75K for full EDI software
Best For
- Vendors selling to Walmart + 1-9 other retailers (Target, Amazon, etc.)
- Teams that manually process EDI into QuickBooks or Excel
- Vendors processing 5-500 POs/month (sweet spot for CSV conversion)
- Businesses avoiding $15K-$50K EDI software setup costs
When to Avoid
- You process 500+ POs/month and need full automation—consider full EDI software
- You need to send 856 ASNs or 810 invoices via EDI transmission (VAN/AS2)—PlainEDI only converts inbound files
Try PlainEDI Free
Upload any Walmart EDI file and preview the first 10 lines for free. No credit card required.
Upload Walmart EDI File →3. Text Editor (Notepad++ with X12 Plugin)
Ranking: #4 (Best for: Debugging, understanding EDI structure)
What It Is
Notepad++ is a free text editor for Windows that can display raw EDI X12 files with formatting plugins. With the NppEdiAnalyzer plugin or custom X12 syntax highlighting, you can view segments and elements on separate lines instead of one continuous string.
How It Works
- Install Notepad++: Download from notepad-plus-plus.org (free)
- Install X12 plugin: Use NppEdiAnalyzer plugin (GitHub: innox80/NppEdiAnalyzer) or import a custom X12.xml User Defined Language
- Open Walmart .edi file: File → Open → select your 850 PO from Retail Link GEM
- Apply X12 formatting: Language → X12 (adds line breaks after each segment terminator ~)
- Find data manually: Use Ctrl+F to search for segments (e.g., search "DTM*002" to find MABD date)
Example: Reading MABD Date in Notepad++
Raw EDI (one line):ISA*00*...*GS*PO*...*ST*850*0001~BEG*00*SA*4500123456**20250115~DTM*002*20250122~...
After X12 formatting (line breaks added):ISA*00*...*~
GS*PO*...*~
ST*850*0001~
BEG*00*SA*4500123456**20250115~
DTM*002*20250122~ ← MABD date: January 22, 2025
Pros
- Free: No cost for software or plugins
- Educational: Teaches you EDI X12 structure (ISA/GS/ST envelopes, segment format, element delimiters)
- Debugging tool: Useful for troubleshooting 997 errors (see exact segment/element that failed validation)
Cons
- Manual data extraction: You must copy-paste each field (PO number, items, quantities) into Excel or ERP—very slow
- No validation: Doesn't check UPC format, date validity, or required fields
- Error-prone: Easy to miss a segment or misread delimiters (* vs : subelements)
- Not scalable: Reading 50 POs/month manually takes 2-4 hours
Time Investment
2-5 minutes per file to locate key fields and manually transcribe data. For 50 POs/month, that's 1.5-4 hours.
Cost Analysis
Year 1 cost: $0 software + 4 hours/month labor at $25/hr = $1,200/year in labor
Ongoing cost: $1,200/year labor
Best For
- Learning EDI X12 segment structure (ISA, GS, ST, BEG, DTM, N1, PO1, CTT, SE, GE, IEA)
- Debugging 997 functional acknowledgment errors (see which segment/element failed)
- One-time EDI file reads (e.g., customer sent you a sample 850)
When to Avoid
- You process more than 5 EDI files/month—manual extraction is too slow
- You need CSV output for ERP import—Notepad++ doesn't export structured data
- You're not technical—reading raw X12 syntax is confusing without training
4. Excel VBA Macro Parser
Ranking: #3 (Best for: In-house Excel workflows, custom field extraction)
What It Is
A custom Excel VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macro that reads Walmart EDI files, parses segments and elements using string functions (Split, InStr, Mid), and populates an Excel worksheet with labeled columns. You can build this yourself or hire a developer to create it.
How It Works
- Open Excel, enable macros: File → Options → Trust Center → Enable VBA macros
- Write or import VBA parser: Tools → Macro → Visual Basic Editor → paste parsing code
- Run macro on Walmart .edi file: Select File → Import EDI → macro reads file line-by-line, splits on ~ (segment terminator) and * (element separator)
- Output to worksheet: Macro populates rows with PO number, MABD date, items, quantities, prices in columns A-J
Example VBA Parsing Logic
Simplified pseudocode for extracting MABD date from DTM*002 segment:
' Read EDI file into string
Dim ediContent As String
Open "C:\walmart_850.edi" For Input As #1
ediContent = Input$(LOF(1), 1)
Close #1
' Split by segment terminator ~
Dim segments() As String
segments = Split(ediContent, "~")
' Loop through segments to find DTM*002
For i = 0 To UBound(segments)
If Left(segments(i), 7) = "DTM*002" Then
Dim elements() As String
elements = Split(segments(i), "*")
' elements(2) = "20250122" → MABD date
Range("B2").Value = Format(elements(2), "@@@@-@@-@@") ' Convert to YYYY-MM-DD
End If
Next iPros
- Fully customizable: Parse any field Walmart includes (department, GLN, UPC, cost, retail, pack size, etc.)
- Excel-native workflow: Output directly into Excel—no CSV import step
- One-time setup cost: After initial development, parsing is free
- Batch processing: Macro can loop through a folder of 50 .edi files and parse all at once
Cons
- Requires VBA programming: Not turnkey—you need to write code or hire a developer ($500-$2,000 for initial build)
- Walmart-specific parsing: Code must account for Walmart's exact segment order (DTM*002 for MABD, REF*DP for department)—breaks if Walmart changes format
- No built-in validation: Doesn't check UPC check digits, date formats, or required fields unless you code it manually
- Maintenance required: When Walmart updates to X12 5010 or adds new segments, you must update the macro
- Single retailer focus: VBA macro for Walmart 850 won't work for Target 850 (different segment usage)—need separate macros per retailer
Time Investment
Initial setup: 6-12 hours to write VBA parser (or $500-$2,000 to hire developer)
Per-file processing: 1-3 minutes (run macro, review output, save to ERP)
Monthly time: 50 POs × 2 min = 100 minutes (1.7 hours)
Cost Analysis
Year 1 cost: $1,500 developer setup + 1.7 hours/month labor at $25/hr × 12 = $2,010
Ongoing cost: $510/year labor + $200/year maintenance (updating macro when Walmart changes formats)
Best For
- Teams already using Excel for order management (no ERP or QuickBooks integration needed)
- In-house developers familiar with VBA
- Walmart-only vendors who need custom field extraction (e.g., pack size, inner pack quantity from Walmart's proprietary segments)
When to Avoid
- You sell to multiple retailers—each needs a separate VBA macro
- You don't have VBA programming skills—$500-$2,000 setup cost makes PlainEDI ($468/year) cheaper
- You need validation and error checking—VBA requires manual coding for every validation rule
5. Full EDI Software (SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, Cleo)
Ranking: #2 (Best for: 5+ retailers, automated transmission, high volume)
What It Is
Full EDI software platforms like SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, and Cleo provide end-to-end EDI management: receive 850 POs via VAN/AS2, auto-import to your ERP (NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks Enterprise), generate 856 ASNs and 810 invoices, and transmit back to Walmart automatically.
How It Works
- EDI provider connects to Walmart via AS2: Direct connection to Walmart's EDI server (no manual GEM downloads)
- 850 PO arrives in EDI mailbox: Software receives PO within minutes of Walmart sending it
- Auto-parse and import to ERP: EDI software translates 850 to your ERP's format (NetSuite Sales Order, SAP ORDERS IDoc) and auto-creates orders
- Fulfill order in ERP: Your warehouse picks, packs, ships
- Generate 856 ASN and 810 invoice: EDI software pulls shipment data from ERP, creates compliant EDI files, and sends to Walmart via AS2 (before delivery for ASN, after shipment for invoice)
Walmart-Specific Features
- OTIF validation: Checks MABD date to ensure shipment meets Walmart's On-Time In-Full requirements (90% on-time for prepaid, 98% collect ready, 95% in-full)—flags late orders
- Pre-configured Walmart maps: SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, and Cleo have tested EDI maps for Walmart 850, 856, 810, 997—no custom development needed
- GS1-128 label generation: Some platforms (e.g., SPS Commerce Fulfillment) generate Walmart-compliant SSCC-18 barcode labels for cartons and pallets
- Chargeback prevention: Validates ASN timing (must arrive before shipment), UPC format (14-digit GTIN), and GLN accuracy (13-digit ship-to) to avoid $1,000 missing ASN or Code 11 price mismatch penalties
Pros
- Fully automated workflow: Zero manual downloading or parsing—POs flow directly into ERP, ASNs/invoices flow back to Walmart
- Real-time processing: Receive POs within minutes vs. daily GEM login
- Multi-retailer support: One platform handles Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Costco, etc. (SPS Commerce supports 200,000+ trading partners)
- Compliance enforcement: Built-in validation for OTIF dates, UPC check digits, SSCC-18 format, GLN accuracy—reduces chargebacks
- Outbound EDI transmission: Sends 856 ASNs and 810 invoices via VAN or AS2 (required by Walmart for suppliers over 100 POs/month)
Cons
- Expensive: $15,000-$50,000 setup (implementation, testing, ERP integration) + $750-$2,000/month ongoing
- Long implementation: 6-12 months to go live (SPS Commerce average: 6-8 months, Cleo: 8-12 months)
- Requires ERP integration: Must connect to NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks Enterprise, or similar—doesn't work with manual Excel workflows
- Overkill for Walmart-only vendors: If you only sell to Walmart with <100 POs/month, $24,000/year is excessive vs. $1,188/year PlainEDI unlimited plan
Time Investment
Initial setup: 6-12 months (EDI testing, ERP mapping, Walmart certification)
Per-file processing: Automated (0 minutes manual work once live)
Monthly time: 2-4 hours monitoring EDI errors and 997 rejections
Cost Analysis (SPS Commerce Example)
Year 1 cost: $15,000 setup + $1,500/mo × 12 = $33,000
Ongoing cost: $18,000/year ($1,500/mo)
5-year TCO: $87,000 (setup + 5 years ongoing)
Best For
- Vendors selling to 5+ retailers (Walmart, Target, Amazon, Costco, Home Depot)
- High-volume suppliers (200+ POs/month across all retailers)
- Businesses with ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Vendors required by retailers to send EDI transmissions (856 ASNs, 810 invoices via VAN/AS2)—Costco mandates full EDI as of 2024
When to Avoid
- You only sell to Walmart with <100 POs/month—use Retail Link GEM + PlainEDI instead (saves $30K+/year)
- You don't have an ERP—full EDI software requires automated data exchange with business systems
- You're bootstrapping—$33,000 year 1 cost may exceed your entire revenue if you're a new supplier
Decision Framework: Which Method Should You Use?
Scenario 1: Walmart-Only Vendor, <20 POs/Month, Manual Workflow
Recommended: Retail Link GEM (#5) + Text Editor (#4)
Why: Free, and manual entry into Excel/ERP is tolerable at low volume. Download 850s from GEM, open in Notepad++ to read PO details, manually create orders in QuickBooks.
Scenario 2: 1-3 Retailers (Walmart + Target + Amazon), 20-100 POs/Month, CSV Import to ERP
Recommended: PlainEDI (#1)
Why: Fastest CSV conversion (30 seconds), works for all 3 retailers, $1,188/year unlimited plan vs. $15K-$33K for full EDI software. Use PlainEDI to convert 850s to CSV, import to QuickBooks via SaasAnt Transactions.
Scenario 3: Walmart-Only Vendor, Excel-Heavy Workflow, In-House Developer
Recommended: Excel VBA Macro (#3)
Why: Custom parsing into Excel, one-time $1,500 setup, no ongoing software costs. Developer builds macro to parse Walmart 850s directly into your custom Excel order template.
Scenario 4: 5+ Retailers, 200+ POs/Month, ERP Automation Required
Recommended: Full EDI Software (#2)
Why: Only option that automates 850 PO import to ERP and sends 856 ASNs / 810 invoices back to retailers via EDI transmission. ROI justifies $33K year 1 cost when processing 200+ POs/month (saves 30+ hours/month manual work = $9,000/year labor at $25/hr).
Scenario 5: Learning EDI for the First Time, Testing Walmart Integration
Recommended: Retail Link GEM (#5) Test Files + Text Editor (#4)
Why: Download sample 850s from GEM, open in Notepad++ with X12 plugin, learn segment structure (ISA, GS, ST, BEG, DTM, PO1). Once comfortable, graduate to PlainEDI (#1) for production parsing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Not Validating MABD Dates
Walmart's Must-Arrive-By-Date (MABD) is in DTM*002 segment. If your shipment arrives after MABD, Walmart charges 3% of invoice value as an OTIF penalty. Always parse MABD and flag orders that can't meet the deadline.
2. Ignoring Department Numbers (REF*DP)
Walmart's department number (REF*DP segment) determines routing—failing to include it on packing slips can delay receiving and trigger chargebacks.
3. Manually Typing UPCs from EDI Files
Typos in UPCs cause invoice rejections (Walmart Code 11: price/UPC mismatch). Always copy-paste UPCs from parsed CSV or use a validator (MOD 10 check digit calculation).
4. Using Free Text Editors for Production Workflow
Notepad++ is great for learning EDI structure, but manually transcribing 50 POs/month from raw text is error-prone and slow (2-4 hours/month). Upgrade to PlainEDI or VBA macro for batch processing.
5. Choosing Full EDI Software Too Early
Many new Walmart vendors spend $33,000 on SPS Commerce before reaching 100 POs/month. At 20 POs/month, PlainEDI unlimited ($1,188/year) + manual ASN submission via Walmart DSV Portal saves $31,812 year 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read Walmart EDI files without any software?
Yes. EDI X12 files are plain text—you can open them in Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac). However, they appear as one long line of characters separated by * and ~. To make them readable, use Notepad++ with an X12 formatting plugin (adds line breaks after each segment).
Does Walmart provide a free EDI viewer?
No. Walmart's Retail Link GEM portal lets you download EDI files, but doesn't parse them. You need a separate tool—text editor (free but manual), PlainEDI ($3.90-$9/file), or full EDI software ($750+/month)—to read the contents.
What's the difference between Retail Link and EDI?
Retail Link is Walmart's supplier portal (web-based dashboard for sales data, inventory, POs). EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the file format Walmart uses to send POs, invoices, and inventory reports. You download EDI files from Retail Link's GEM mailbox, then parse them with a tool like PlainEDI.
Can I use Excel to open Walmart EDI files?
Not directly. Excel expects .csv or .xlsx files with comma/tab delimiters. EDI uses * (element separator) and ~ (segment terminator). If you open an .edi file in Excel, you'll see one cell with the entire file as text. To get EDI data into Excel, use: (1) PlainEDI to convert EDI → CSV, then open CSV in Excel, or (2) VBA macro to parse EDI and populate worksheet.
How long does it take to learn to read Walmart EDI files manually?
2-4 hours to learn basic X12 structure (ISA/GS/ST envelopes, segment format, common segments like BEG, DTM, N1, PO1). After that, reading a single 850 PO takes 2-5 minutes (find PO number in BEG, MABD in DTM*002, items in PO1 segments). For ongoing production use, manual reading is too slow—use PlainEDI or VBA macro for batch processing.
Do I need EDI software if I only sell to Walmart?
Not necessarily. If you process <100 POs/month and manually enter orders into QuickBooks/Excel, use Retail Link GEM (free download) + PlainEDI ($1,188/year unlimited) to convert 850s to CSV. Full EDI software ($18,000-$33,000/year) is only justified if: (1) you process 200+ POs/month and need automation, or (2) Walmart requires you to send 856 ASNs via EDI transmission (not DSV Portal).
What EDI transaction types does Walmart send?
Walmart sends these X12 transaction types to vendors via Retail Link GEM or AS2:
- 850 - Purchase Order (most common—your orders to fulfill)
- 860 - Purchase Order Change (updates to existing POs: quantity changes, cancel line items)
- 997 - Functional Acknowledgment (confirms Walmart received your 856 ASN or 810 invoice—checks for errors)
- 820 - Payment Remittance Advice (explains payment amounts and deductions)
- 846 - Inventory Inquiry/Advice (requests current inventory levels for dropship vendors)
Can PlainEDI replace full EDI software for Walmart vendors?
For inbound EDI parsing (reading 850 POs), yes—PlainEDI converts Walmart 850s to CSV in 30 seconds, same result as full EDI software, at 1/20th the cost. However, PlainEDI doesn't send outbound EDI (856 ASNs, 810 invoices) via VAN/AS2 transmission. If Walmart requires EDI transmission (not web portal submission), you need full EDI software or a hybrid approach: PlainEDI for inbound 850s + separate VAN service for outbound 856/810 ($200-$500/month).
Conclusion: Best Method for Most Walmart Vendors
For 80% of Walmart vendors (1-3 retailers, 20-200 POs/month, CSV import to ERP), PlainEDI (#1) is the optimal choice:
- Fastest: 30 seconds per file vs. 5-10 min Retail Link GEM or 2-5 min text editor
- Affordable: $1,188/year unlimited vs. $18,000-$33,000/year full EDI software (94% cost savings)
- Multi-retailer: Works for Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's (10 retailers total)—future-proof as you expand
- No setup: Upload EDI file, download CSV—no VBA coding, no 6-month EDI implementation
Retail Link GEM (#5) is ideal for Walmart-only vendors with <20 POs/month who manually enter orders into ERP anyway—it's free, but slow. Text editors (#4) are best for learning EDI structure or debugging 997 errors, not production use. Excel VBA macros (#3) work well if you have in-house developers and Excel-heavy workflows, but require custom coding per retailer. Full EDI software (#2) is necessary only for high-volume vendors (200+ POs/month, 5+ retailers) who need automated ERP integration and outbound EDI transmission.
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Try PlainEDI Free →Related Guides
How to Read a Walmart EDI 850 File
Step-by-step guide to understanding Walmart purchase order structure, MABD dates, and department numbers.
Common Errors in Walmart EDI Files
How to fix 997 functional acknowledgment rejections, invalid UPCs, and missing SSCC-18 barcodes.
How Walmart Suppliers Use EDI to CSV Conversion
Real-world workflows for converting Walmart 850 POs to CSV and importing to QuickBooks or Excel.
Walmart EDI to CSV Converter
Convert Walmart 850, 855, 856, 810, 820, 846, and 997 files to CSV instantly with PlainEDI.