EDI Software for Small Businesses
Fully managed EDI software for small businesses that need affordable, reliable EDI without hiring an in-house EDI expert.
TRUSTED BY SMALL BUSINESSES TRADING WITH
WALMART
TARGET
AMAZON
COSTCO
HOME DEPOT
KROGER
CHEWY
LOWE'S
and 200 More
What is Small Business EDI?
Small business EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is an electronic exchange of standard business documents such as purchase orders, invoices, and advance ship notices between a small business and its trading partners. Instead of relying on emails, PDFs, or manual entry, EDI automates the process so documents move faster and with fewer errors.
Most retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Target, and Costco require their suppliers to be EDI compliant using the ANSI X12 standard. Compliance means your documents must follow specific formatting rules, pass trading partner testing, and transmit through approved channels such as a VAN (Value Added Network), AS2, or SFTP.
For small businesses without a dedicated IT or EDI team, meeting these requirements on your own can be expensive and time-consuming. That’s why most small businesses choose a managed cloud EDI platform like Elevate where onboarding, mapping, testing, and ongoing compliance are handled for you so your team can stay focused on operations.
EDI Software for Companies with No EDI Team
Elevate is built for lean teams that need to become EDI compliant without turning it into a full-time job.
New to EDI
A retailer told you to "get EDI set up" and you don't know where to start. That's exactly who we built this for.
Switching Providers
Frustrated with SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, or another provider that feels too slow, too expensive, or too hard to work with.
Lean Operations Teams
Your ops, finance, or CS team are already stretched. You need beginner-friendly EDI software that doesn't require a specialist.
Growing Fast
Starting with one or two trading partners and need a solution that scales as you add more retailers or wholesale accounts.
Retailer Mandates
Walmart, Target, Amazon, Costco, or another major buyer is requiring EDI compliance and there's a deadline you can't miss.
Budget-Conscious
Looking for affordable EDI software with transparent pricing not enterprise quotes that take weeks and hide the real cost.
Industries We Work With
Not the right fit? If you’re an enterprise with a dedicated IT and EDI department, Elevate probably isn’t your solution and that’s okay. If you need mid-market and enterprise-level EDI, we help with Boomi implementations. Talk to our team at EDI Support →
You Get Full Service EDI Capabilities with Elevate
Managed onboarding, mapping, testing, compliance, and ongoing support —
so your team can focus on running the business.
Common EDI Transaction Sets We Support
Small businesses are often asked to exchange a core set of EDI documents depending on the customer or trading partner. Elevate supports common business documents such as:
| Transaction Set | Document Name | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| EDI 850 | Purchase Order | The order itself, sent electronically by the retailer or buyer. Contains item numbers, quantities, pricing, ship-to addresses, and delivery instructions. |
| EDI 855 | PO Acknowledgment | Confirms receipt and acceptance of a purchase order sent by the retailer. Lets the buyer know whether you can fulfill the order as requested. |
| EDI 856 | Advance Ship Notice | Notifies the retailer that a shipment is on the way. Includes details like carton contents, tracking numbers, and expected delivery dates. |
| EDI 810 | Invoice | Sends the invoice for goods shipped. Matches the purchase order and ASN so the retailer can process payment. |
| EDI 846 | Inventory Advice | Reports current inventory levels to trading partners. Helps retailers and distributors manage stock availability and replenishment planning. |
| EDI 880 | Grocery Products Invoice | A specialized invoice format used primarily in the grocery and food distribution industry with item-level detail and allowances. |
| EDI 812 | Credit/Debit Adjustment | Communicates financial adjustments such as credits, debits, or chargebacks between trading partners after an invoice has been processed. |
| EDI 816 | Organizational Relationship | Establishes or updates information about the organizational structure between trading partners, such as store locations or department hierarchies. |
| EDI 824 | Application Advice | Reports errors or acceptance status for previously submitted EDI documents. Helps identify and resolve data issues between systems. |
| EDI 830 | Planning Schedule | Shares demand forecasts or planned order schedules from the buyer, allowing suppliers to plan production and inventory ahead of time. |
| EDI 864 | Text Message | Sends free-form text communication between trading partners within the EDI channel. Used for notes, instructions, or supplemental information. |
| EDI 940 | Warehouse Shipping Order | Instructs a warehouse or 3PL to ship goods on your behalf. Includes item details, quantities, and shipping instructions. |
| EDI 943 | Warehouse Stock Transfer (Shipment Advice) | Notifies that goods have been shipped from the warehouse. Confirms what was sent, when, and to whom. |
| EDI 944 | Warehouse Stock Transfer (Receipt Advice) | Confirms that goods have been received at the warehouse. Validates quantities and condition of inventory upon arrival. |
| EDI 945 | Warehouse Shipping Advice | Confirms that the warehouse has completed a shipping order. Provides shipment details back to the originator of the 940. |
| EDI 997 | Functional Acknowledgment (free) | Automatically confirms that an EDI document was received and processed without syntax errors. Elevate includes 997s at no additional cost. |
If your trading partner has specific requirements, label requirements, or workflow expectations, our team helps guide that setup during onboarding.
Connects With the Way You Already Work
Elevate supports multiple integration paths depending on your current systems and capacity.
API Integration
Need a direct connection? API-based options give your dev team flexibility to integrate on their terms.
File-Based Workflows
Work with flat files, CSVs, or XML. Elevate supports SFTP and secure file-based EDI workflows.
Affordable EDI Software — With No Surprises
Starting at $50/month + $750 flat per trading partner setup. Most small businesses spend between $150 and $500 per month. No contracts. No KC billing. No hidden fees.
Your cost depends on:
- Number of trading partners
- Types of documents required
- Monthly document volume
- ERP, file, or API integration
- Labeling or workflow requirements
- Custom packing slips / GS1-128 labels
How Long Does Onboarding Take?
With Elevate, EDI onboarding usually takes 2-3 weeks with 1 or 2 trading partners. The onboarding timeline also depends on your trading partner response, document scope, testing requirements and integration needs.
If you need to understand what your timeline could look like, we can help you evaluate that upfront.
Elevate vs Traditional EDI Providers
Client Success
We had a great experience working with EDI Support LLC to set up our new EDI system, Elevate. From start to finish, their team was incredibly responsive, detail-oriented, and genuinely invested in making sure everything worked smoothly for us.
What really stood out was their hands-on approach. They didn't just set things up and disappear — they walked us through the process, helped troubleshoot issues in real time, and made sure we fully understood how everything worked. Their attention to detail gave us a lot of confidence, especially during what is usually a very stressful transition.
If you're looking for a team that's knowledgeable, reliable, and easy to work with, I would highly recommend EDI Support LLC. They made a complex process feel manageable and were a true partner throughout!
Sara Riazi
Sales Operations Manager at Capello's
Frequently Asked Questions
Elevate is the best EDI software for a small business because it’s intentionally built for small businesses that need hand-holding, end-to-end support, don’t have the EDI knowledge on team and are on a budget. Small businesses do best with a managed EDI solution that includes onboarding, mapping, testing, and ongoing support rather than a self-managed platform.
No. Elevate is built for businesses with and without in-house EDI knowledge. We help handle onboarding, mapping, testing, and support so your team does not have to become EDI experts.
Elevate is designed for small businesses that need a more affordable and transparent approach to EDI. Costs depend on your setup, but the goal is to make pricing easier to understand and easier to plan around.
You get assigned your account on our EDI portal within 24 hours. This makes you EDI-ready. The timeline of EDI setup and onboarding depends on your trading partners, document requirements, and integration needs. Elevate is designed to help businesses get started faster with a more hands-on onboarding process. Most small businesses are EDI compliant with 1-2 trading partners within 2-3 weeks.
Yes. Elevate can support ERP integrations, file-based workflows, and API-based setups depending on what your business needs.
A: Yes. Elevate is specifically built for small and mid-sized businesses. Walmart EDI setup is a one-time $750 fee, with monthly platform fees starting at $50. That is a fraction of what legacy providers charge, and far less than what chargebacks from non-compliance would cost.
Yes. If your current EDI provider feels too slow, too expensive, or too difficult to work with, Elevate can help you evaluate a smoother path forward with a phased implementation.