Costco EDI requirements (U.S.)
Costco requires its suppliers to send and receive purchase and sale data by EDI. Purchase orders arrive by EDI, each one a separate contract; a supplier that cannot fill one must tell Costco within two business days, and the EDI invoice is due on the day the goods ship. Shipments that arrive more than two days early may be rejected.
The documents
| Document | Direction | What it is for | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 850 Purchase Order | From Costco | The purchase order, each one a separate contract. The published specification is the costco.com dropship (CommerceHub) version. | Read and validate |
| 860 Purchase Order Change | From Costco | A change to a purchase order already sent. | Read and validate |
| 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment | To Costco | Your acknowledgment. Costco’s terms ask you to confirm each order as soon as reasonably possible, and to say within two business days if you cannot fill it. | Read and validate |
| 856 Ship Notice/Manifest | To Costco | The ship notice for each shipment. | Read and validate |
| 810 Invoice | To Costco | The invoice, sent by EDI on the day the goods ship, with your supplier number, the PO number and Costco item numbers. | Read and validate |
| 820 Payment Order/Remittance Advice | From Costco | Costco’s payment and remittance. | Read and validate |
| 852 Product Activity Data | From Costco | Product activity data from Costco. | Read and validate |
| 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice | To Costco | Your inventory position for costco.com dropship, through CommerceHub. | Read and validate |
Order, invoice and shipping rules
- Purchase orders: ship only against a written purchase order. Confirm each one as soon as reasonably possible, and tell Costco within two business days of receipt if you cannot fill it.
- Invoices: an EDI invoice on the day the goods ship, in Costco’s EDI standards, and every invoice within six months of delivery at the latest.
- Documents: invoices, bills of lading and packing lists show your supplier number, the PO number and the Costco item numbers; bills of lading show actual scale weights.
- Barcodes: every product carries Costco’s item number and a scannable GTIN. Costco may also require RFID.
- Arrival: shipments more than two days early may be rejected, and Costco may cancel or reject a late shipment.
Costs and claims
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Costco’s collect carrier arrives on the ship date and the load is not ready | You pay Costco’s actual costs from the delay |
| Missing or inaccurate item number or GTIN | You pay Costco’s related costs |
| An invoice in dispute | Costco pays the undisputed amount |
| Disputing a payment, return, rebate or audit deduction | Costco Standard Supplier Claim Form, on the Supplier Portal |
From Costco’s U.S. Supplier Standard Terms (effective November 1, 2022). Costco does not publish chargeback amounts or compliance targets outside its supplier portals; your supplier agreement is what applies.
Meeting these requirements with Weredi
Read Costco’s specifications
8 of the documents above are published segment by segment, free, with a validator that checks your own file against them.
Invoice on the day you ship
Each 850 becomes your acknowledgment, ship notice and invoice without rekeying, so the 810 can go out the day the goods leave, with the numbers Costco asks for.
See what Costco deducted
On Weredi Plus, the deduction ledger matches each deduction to its invoice and builds a bilingual dispute pack for your claim.
One flat price
From $199 CAD a month for Costco and every other trading partner, with unlimited transactions.
How you connect
Costco gives each supplier its EDI mapping standards through its EDI contact. Weredi exchanges documents directly over AS2, SFTP or FTP: confirm with Costco’s EDI team which connection it will set up for your account. This page follows Costco’s U.S. supplier terms; if you supply Costco Canada, confirm its terms with Costco Canada.
Get your Costco documents out on the day you ship
Start a free 14-day trial with Costco already added, no credit card.
Questions buyers ask
Does Costco require EDI?
Yes. Costco’s U.S. supplier terms require suppliers to send and receive purchase and sale data by EDI. Purchase orders ordinarily arrive by EDI, and the invoice is an EDI invoice.
When is the invoice due to Costco?
On the day the goods ship, as an EDI invoice in Costco’s EDI standards, and every invoice no later than six months after delivery.
What if I cannot fill a Costco purchase order?
Tell Costco within two business days of receiving it. Each purchase order is a separate contract, and Costco may cancel or reject a late shipment.
Does this page cover Costco Canada?
No. It follows Costco’s U.S. Supplier Standard Terms. If you supply Costco Canada, confirm its terms with Costco Canada.
Speak to an EDI expert today
Connect with one of our experienced EDI experts to learn how Weredi’s Modern EDI Platform can handle your company’s EDI needs.