Transmits product catalog data from suppliers to buyers - including item descriptions, UPC/GTIN codes, list prices, contracted pricing tiers, pack configurations, and product attributes needed for item setup, buying decisions, and AP matching.
The EDI 832 Price/Sales Catalog is a supplier-to-buyer data feed that establishes the product and pricing master data that all subsequent EDI transactions depend on. Before a buyer can send a purchase order, their procurement system needs to know the item exists, what it costs, how it's packaged, what its UPC is, and what the minimum order quantity is. The 832 is how suppliers push that data electronically, replacing the PDF line sheets, Excel price lists, and emailed spec sheets that traditionally drove item setup.
A 832 is structured around CTP (pricing) and PO1 (item) loops, where each product line contains the item identifiers (supplier part number, UPC, GTIN-14 case code), description, unit of measure, case pack quantity, price per unit at various tiers (list price, cost, net price), and any pricing effective dates. It can also carry promotional pricing with start/end dates, quantity break pricing, and account-specific pricing for buyers with negotiated contracts. The buyer loads this data into their item master, enabling automated price validation when the 810 invoice arrives.
832 is also used for ongoing price updates - when a supplier announces a price increase, a 832 with updated CTP amounts and a future effective date is sent, giving buyers advance notice and allowing them to update PO pricing proactively. In distribution, where price changes cascade through thousands of SKUs at once, automated 832 processing is essential for keeping pricing data accurate without manual intervention.
Suppliers onboarding to major retailers (Target, Walmart, Costco) often must submit 832 catalog data through the retailer's item setup portal or EDI channel before any PO can be issued. Retailers use the 832 data to populate their product information management (PIM) systems, set up vendor-managed floor plans, and pre-load AP systems with expected unit costs for invoice matching.
CPG manufacturers send 832 catalogs to grocery chains and UNFI/KeHE for item setup and annual price changes. Grocery 832s often carry case and inner-pack UPCs (GTIN-14 and GTIN-12), allowance structures, and minimum advertised price (MAP) data. The buyer's category management system feeds off this data for planogram decisions and promotional planning.
Wholesale distributors receive 832s from hundreds of vendor suppliers to maintain their product catalog. When a supplier sends a 832 price update, the distributor's system automatically applies the new cost to their buy-side pricing and triggers a review of their sell-side pricing to preserve margins. Large distributors process thousands of 832 updates per month.
Online retailers and marketplace sellers use 832 as the data feed that populates product listings. Item titles, descriptions, images (referenced by URL), dimensions, weights, and hazmat flags from the 832 become the product detail page content. Accurate 832 data reduces returns by ensuring customers understand exactly what they're buying before checkout.
Opens the 832. BCT01 = catalog purpose code: PR (price list), SA (sales catalog), PR + BCT02 = catalog number (supplier-assigned ID). BCT03 = date of catalog. BCT04 = catalog version number (incremented with each update). BCT05 = procedure code indicating full catalog replace (00) or change-only delta (CR). Delta mode significantly reduces file size for large catalogs with only a handful of changed items.
One LIN loop per catalog item. LIN02/LIN03 = primary product identifier: UP (UPC-A, 12 digits), UK (EAN/GTIN-13), UI (UPC Case Code, 14-digit GTIN), VP (vendor part number), BP (buyer part number). Multiple LIN qualifier/value pairs per line allow the same item to be identified by all its codes simultaneously - essential when a buyer orders by their item number but invoices must reference the UPC.
Carries all pricing data for the item. CTP01 = class of trade code (identifies which buyer segment this price applies to: WS = wholesale, RT = retail, IN = internet). CTP02 = price identifier code: NET (net price), CON (contract price), LST (list price). CTP03 = unit price (decimal). CTP04 = quantity (for quantity-break pricing). CTP05 = unit of measure. Multiple CTP segments per LIN support tiered pricing structures.
Free-form and structured item description. PID01 = description type (F = free-form, S = structured). PID04 = agency qualifier for structured descriptions (GS1, supplier-defined). PID05 = description text (up to 80 chars). Additional PID segments carry different description types: brand name, model number, flavor/color/size variants. Buyers' PIM and eCommerce systems pull PID text for listing content and catalog search indexing.
Describes pack hierarchy and packaging configuration. PKG01 = item description type, PKG02 = packaging characteristic code: 06 (pack configuration - each, inner, case, master), PKG03 = agency qualifier, PKG04 = packaging description code, PKG05 = description text (e.g., "12/6/1 = 12 cases per pallet, 6 inners per case, 1 each per inner"). Pack hierarchy data is required for 856 label generation and WMS receiving configuration.
Controls when catalog pricing takes effect. DTM01 = 007 (effective date - when new price starts), DTM01 = 036 (expiration date - when price ends). Used for future-dated price increases (supplier sends the 832 today with an effective date of 60 days from now) and promotional pricing windows. The buying system must honor these dates when validating invoice prices - a key source of price-variance chargebacks when dates aren't applied correctly.
POs reference item numbers and prices established in the 832. When a buyer sends an 850 with a unit price, it should match the CTP in the supplier's current 832 catalog. Price discrepancies between the 832, 850, and 810 are a primary driver of invoice disputes and chargebacks.
Account-specific pricing in the 832 is scoped to organizational entities defined in the 816. A supplier may have different net pricing for a retailer's wholesale DC vs. their direct-to-store program - the 816 account hierarchy determines which CTP class of trade pricing applies to each entity.
When a buyer places an 850 based on 832 catalog data, the supplier's 855 acknowledgment confirms items and prices. If a price in the 850 doesn't match the current 832, the 855 should flag the discrepancy (AC code) and reference the current catalog price, giving both parties a chance to correct before invoicing.
Better EDI handles 832 mapping, testing, and trading partner certification so you don't have to.
Talk to an EDI Expert