How to Open Walmart EDI Files Without Special Software

Why Walmart EDI Files Are Hard to Open

If Walmart sent you an EDI file (typically with extensions like .edi, .x12, .txt, or .dat), you might have tried double-clicking it and encountered a confusing error or a wall of unreadable text. This is normal.

Walmart EDI files use the ANSI X12 standard — a structured text format designed for computer-to-computer communication, not human reading. The files contain purchase orders (850), advance ship notices (856), invoices (810), and other transaction types formatted with special delimiter characters instead of the rows and columns you'd see in Excel.

Method 1: Open with Text Editor (Free, But Hard to Read)

On Windows (Using Notepad)

1. Right-click the EDI file (e.g., walmart_850_PO.edi)
2. Select "Open with" → "Notepad" or "Notepad++" (if installed)
3. The file will open showing text like:
   ISA*00* *00* *ZZ*WALMART *ZZ*YOURCOMPANY *250120*1034*U*00401*000123456*0*P*~GS*PO*WALMART*YOURCOMPANY*20250120*1034*1*X*004010~ST*850*0001~BEG*00*SA*1234567890**20250120~...
4. Problem: The entire file appears as one continuous line because X12 files don't include line breaks after each segment.

On Mac (Using TextEdit)

1. Right-click the EDI file
2. Select "Open With" → "TextEdit" (built into macOS)
3. If TextEdit shows formatted text, go to TextEdit → Preferences → "Plain text" under "Format"
4. Reopen the file to see the raw X12 content

Limitations of this method:

• You see delimiter characters (* and ~) everywhere, making data hard to extract
• No automatic parsing of dates (20250120 = January 20, 2025)
• Line items buried in IT1 segments mixed with addresses (N1), dates (DTM), and metadata
• Cannot easily copy purchase order details into your system without manual reformatting
• Risk of missing critical data like MABD dates, department numbers, or ship-to GLN codes

ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*WALMART        *ZZ*YOURCOMPANY    *250120*1034*U*00401*000123456*0*P*~
GS*PO*WALMART*YOURCOMPANY*20250120*1034*1*X*004010~
ST*850*0001~
BEG*00*SA*PO1234567890**20250120~
DTM*002*20250125~
N1*ST*WALMART DC 6022*92*0078742001696~
N1*BY*WALMART*92*0078742000005~
IT1*1*100*CA*12.99*UD*UP*012345678901*VN*YOUR-SKU-123~
PID*F****48 Pack AAA Batteries~
CTT*1~
SE*10*0001~
GE*1*1~
IEA*1*000123456*~

Method 2: Copy to Excel for Semi-Structured Viewing

Microsoft Excel can parse the delimiters to create columns, making it slightly easier to review than plain text.

Steps:

1. Open the EDI file in Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac)
2. Press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) to select all text
3. Press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac) to copy
4. Open Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
5. Paste the content into cell A1
6. In Excel: Select the column → Go to Data tab → "Text to Columns"
7. Choose "Delimited" → Click Next
8. Uncheck all preset delimiters, then check "Other" and type: * (asterisk)
9. Click Finish

Limitations:

• Segments like ISA, GS, ST, N1, IT1 mixed together — hard to separate purchase order data from metadata
• No automatic labeling (you don't know column D is "Unit Price" unless you reference X12 documentation)
• Multiple IT1 segments (line items) require manual consolidation
• Dates still in CCYYMMDD format (20250125 instead of "January 25, 2025")
• Cannot filter or sort by retailer-specific fields like Walmart's department number or MABD date

Method 3: Convert to CSV (Recommended — Easiest & Fastest)

Instead of manually parsing X12 delimiters and looking up segment codes, use PlainEDI to automatically convert Walmart EDI files to clean CSV with human-readable column headers.

How It Works:

1. Go to PlainEDI Free Converter
2. Upload your Walmart EDI file (850, 856, 810, 820, 846, 997)
3. Preview instantly — see parsed data in 5 seconds (no account needed)
4. Download CSV with labeled columns like:
   • PO Number, PO Date, Ship By Date
   • Item UPC, Quantity, Unit Price, Description
   • Ship To Name, Ship To GLN, Ship To Address
   • Department Number, Vendor Item Number
5. Import CSV into Excel, Google Sheets, QuickBooks, or your inventory system

Why This Is Better:

• No X12 knowledge required — columns are pre-labeled with plain English headers
• Dates automatically formatted — DTM*002*20250125 becomes "January 25, 2025"
• Walmart-specific parsing — extracts MABD dates, department numbers, GLN codes automatically
• Handles all transaction types — 850 POs, 856 ASNs, 810 Invoices, 820 Payments, 846 Inventory, 997 Acknowledgments
• Works with 10+ retailers — not just Walmart (Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco, Best Buy, AutoZone, Albertsons, Kroger)
• Takes 30 seconds — vs 2-4 hours of manual data entry (according to Aberdeen Group study)

Understanding X12 Format & Delimiters

If you need to read raw EDI files regularly, understanding the X12 structure helps you identify key data even without converting.

X12 Delimiters (The Special Characters)

Common X12 Segments in Walmart Files

Walmart-Specific EDI Requirements

When opening Walmart EDI files, pay special attention to these retailer-specific requirements that affect compliance:

Critical Fields in Walmart 850 Purchase Orders

Walmart OTIF (On-Time In-Full) Requirements

Walmart enforces strict delivery performance metrics that affect your ability to stay compliant:

• 90% On-Time (Prepaid Freight): Deliver within MABD-3 to MABD window (can arrive up to 3 days early, not late)
• 98% On-Time (Collect Freight): Must be ready for carrier pickup on scheduled date
• 95% In-Full: Ship 95%+ of ordered quantity (each line item counted separately)
• 3% COGS Penalty: If OTIF drops below 90%, Walmart deducts 3% of cost of goods sold from your invoices

Required Responses to Walmart 850 POs

After opening and processing a Walmart 850 PO, you must send these responses:

1. 855 PO Acknowledgment (within 24 hours):
   • Confirm you can fulfill the order (code: AC = Accepted)
   • Or reject/partially accept with reason codes
   • Must match PO number from BEG segment
2. 856 Advance Ship Notice (before shipment arrives):
   • Required for all Walmart shipments
   • Missing ASN = $200-$500 chargeback (Code 21)
   • Late ASN (arrives after shipment) = Code 22 chargeback
   • Must include SSCC-18 barcode (MAN*GM segment) for each pallet/carton
3. 810 Invoice (after delivery):
   • Must match PO quantity and price exactly
   • Price mismatch = Code 11 deduction (Walmart pays the lower of PO price vs invoice price)
   • Quantity shortage = Code 64/65 chargeback (unit cost + handling fee)

💡 Tip: If you're not set up to send EDI responses (855, 856, 810) electronically, many vendors use Walmart's Retail Link web portal to manually submit ASNs and invoices. However, you still need to read the incoming 850 PO to know what to submit — which is why converting to CSV makes the process manageable without full EDI software.

Common Problems & Solutions

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