Generic X12 standards won't work. CVS has supplier-specific specs that differ from other retailers.
Setting up CVS EDI integration is a project that benefits from familiarity with their requirements.
CVS Health operates more than 9,000 pharmacy locations and enforces EDI compliance. Suppliers are broken into specific categories and it’s important you know which category your business falls into.
CVS Health requires ANSI X12 EDI standards for all supplier transactions. The core CVS EDI documents aren’t unusual:
- 850 Purchase Orders
- 856 Advance Ship Notices (ASN)
- 810 Invoices
- 997 Functional Acknowledgments
Depending on your product category, CVS may also require 855 PO Acknowledgments, 820 Remittance Advices, 832 product catalogs, 846 inventory reports, or 852 sales activity reports.
CVS Trading Partner Resources
CVS has provided how-to documentation based on supplier/trading partner category at www.cvssuppliers.com.
Below is a breakdown of the major supplier categories:
Category | What This Means | Who This Can Apply To |
Direct Store Delivery (DSD) | The supplier skips CVS distribution centers and delivers goods/products directly to individual CVS store locations. | Beverage distributors, bread companies, snack vendors, anyone doing frequent store-level restocking. |
Scan Based Trading (SBT) | A supplier stocks the shelves and is responsible for keeping them stocked. CVS does not own the product, and the supplier isn’t paid until someone scans the item and it goes through checkout. | CVS created a consignment program in 2012 so that suppliers could get their goods in CVS stores without CVS having to commit to inventory carrying costs and other upfront expenses. A supplier must sign up for this program. |
Distribution Center / Warehouse | The supplier follows the standard wholesale model. The supplier bulk ships products to CVS’ distribution centers (DCs) and the DCs distribute products to the stores. | Packaged goods suppliers and many product suppliers. |
Dot Com | The supplier sells their products on CVS.com. The products are either shipped and the order fulfilled by a CVS warehouse or through drop shipping. | Online-only brands, dropship suppliers, digital marketplace sellers. |
Hawaii | This is a specific category for suppliers shipping products to Hawaiian stores. | Any supplier serving Hawaii locations (different logistics, lead times, regulations). |
Transportation Carriers | Businesses that haul CVS products and goods, but don’t supply products. | Trucking companies, 3PLs moving CVS shipments. |
Import | The supplier’s products originate overseas. | International manufacturers, importers handling customs/duties. |
Store Brand | A business or organization responsible for manufacturing CVS “brand” or private label products. | Contract manufacturers producing CVS Health, Live Better, or other CVS-owned brands. |
Why Your CVS Supplier Type Matters for EDI Integration
CVS Health doesn’t have a universal EDI setup; it depends on what category you fall into. A Direct Store Delivery (DSD) supplier sending invoices to individual stores has different EDI transaction requirements than a Distribution Center supplier shipping pallets to a CVS warehouse.
Here is an overview of the EDI documents required for each vendor category and the general flow of goods/services:
Supplier Type | Common EDI Documents | What The Process Looks Like |
Direct Store Delivery (DSD) | • 810 Invoice •812 Credit/Debit Adjustment • 820 Payment Order/Remittance Advice • 852 Product Activity Data • 864 Text Message • 867 Product Transfer Report
• 879 Price Information • 895 Delivery/Return Base Record • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | The supplier is directly responsible for shipping and delivering goods directly to individual CVS stores. The supplier’s employee will physically stock the shelves. The supplier invoices (EDI 810) each store separately. A functional acknowledgement that the goods have been shipped, received, and stocked (EDI 997) is also required. |
Scan Based Trading (SBT) | • 816 Organizational Relationships • 820 Payment Order/Remittance Advice • 832 Price/Sales Catalog • 852 Product Activity Data • 864 Text Message • 867 Product Transfer Report • 879 Price Information • 895 Delivery/Return Base Record • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | The product sits on CVS shelves, but it belongs to the supplier until the barcode is scanned at the register. CVS sends weekly product activity data updates (EDI 852), so the supplier knows what products were sold. If product expires or gets stolen, the supplier bears the cost. |
Distribution Center / Warehouse | • 850 Purchase Order • 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) • 810 Invoice • 812 Credit/Debit Adjustment • 860 Purchase Order Change • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | The standard wholesale workflow. CVS sends a PO (EDI 850), the supplier ships the bulk of the goods to CVS’s distribution centers. The goods are verified and the supplier is eventually paid for the goods/services. CVS handles getting the product onto the store’s shelves. |
Dot Com | • 850 Purchase Order • 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) • 810 Invoice • 812 Credit/Debit Adjustment • 860 Purchase Order Change • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | CVS sends the supplier a purchase order (EDI 850) for CVS.com order. The supplier either ships bulk to a dedicated online fulfillment center, or drop-ships the order directly to the customer’s porch. The supplier sends an advance ship notice (EDI 856) ASN with tracking data so CVS can alert the buyer. |
Hawaii | • 850 Purchase Order • 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) • 810 Invoice • 812 Credit/Debit Adjustment • 860 Purchase Order Change • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | CVS sends the supplier a purchase order (EDI 850) for Hawaiian stores. The supplier delivers the freight to a West Coast consolidator rather than a standard warehouse, and from there it goes onto a container ship. The supplier must transmit an advance ship notice (EDI 856) that perfectly identifies their approved ocean carrier, or the goods will sit on the dock, literally missing the boat. CVS created separate documentation for this category because CVS pre-pays for the space on those ships to control costs. |
Transportation Carriers | • 857 Shipment and Billing Notice • 894 Delivery/Return Acknowledgment • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | Trucking companies and third-party logistics providers (3PLS) are moving the goods from manufacturers and CVS distribution centers. When a truck picks up goods, they use the shipment and billing notice (EDI 857) to bill for moving the goods and the acknowledgements (EDI 894 and EDI 997), to prove the goods were actually dropped off and delivered. |
Import | • 850 Purchase Order • 856 Advance Ship Notice (with customs data) • 810 Invoice • 860 Purchase Order Change • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | If the goods are manufactured overseas, the advance ship notice (EDI 856) has to carry detailed customs data including the country of origin and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes, before entering the U.S. If the data is wrong or missing, the shipment may get held up in customs. |
Store Brand | • 850 Purchase Order • 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) • 810 Invoice • 812 Credit/Debit Adjustment • 832 Price/Sales Catalog • 860 Purchase Order Change • 997 Functional Acknowledgment | These manufacturers and suppliers typically have a contract with CVS. Once the goods/products are made they are labeled as a CVS Health or Live Better product. The goods manufacturer will provide information to the distribution center’s pricing/sales catalog (EDI 832) and ship product directly to CVS’s distribution centers. |
Important Note: Don’t download generic ANSI X12 EDI standards and assume they’ll work with CVS Health. CVS has specific EDI requirements that differ from Walmart EDI, Target EDI, or any other retailer’s EDI specifications. Use CVS’s actual EDI mapping guides from cvssuppliers.com.
Common Mistakes Made with CVS EDI Integration
Choosing the Wrong Supplier Type
Oftentimes, suppliers assume they follow the general standard distribution center model when they’re actually a direct store delivery supplier or use scan-based trading. The different supplier category means a different set of EDI documents and specifications.
Mismatched ASNs
The 856 advance ship notice is another area where suppliers may run into trouble with EDI compliance. CVS requires hierarchical packing levels in the ASN: shipment, order, tare (pallet), and pack (carton). The pallets (groups of boxes) and cartons (the boxes themselves) must match your ASN exactly.
What seems like a small difference can cause problems. For example:
- The barcode is correct on the label but keyed incorrectly into the EDI file.
- The supplier’s ERP, TMS, or WMS system strips the barcode of important data like leading zeros, etc.
When the shipment gets to the distribution center and CVS scans the shipment, a mismatch on the ASN can lead to the entire shipment being rejected.
Neglecting 997s
CVS places a high priority on their suppliers sending a functional acknowledgement (EDI 997), and this is consistent for every supplier category. Keeping up with shipping notices and invoices assuming everything went through with no mishaps is a mistake.
The 997 Acknowledgment is the supplier’s receipt. It’s the main proof that CVS got your file. Neglecting to send 997s can lead to:
- Chargebacks for missing ASNs that you sent (but CVS never received).
- Late payments because invoices never made it into CVS’s systems.
- Duplicate file transmissions because you don’t know if the first one went through properly.
- Inability to prove you sent a file when a dispute happens.
Using Outdated Mapping Specs
CVS has been known to update their EDI compliance documentation and specs. If suppliers don’t keep an eye on CVS-specific requirements, their supply chain slows down.
The Scan Based Trading program that was established in 2012 is unique. Not all retailers have the same kind of program or EDI specifications required for this type of workflow.
The way CVS handles invoicing is also different. Many retailers will have one general invoice specification. CVS has at least four: one for distribution center suppliers (810-DC-IB), one for direct store delivery (810-DSD-IB), one for pharmacy distribution (810-RX-DC-IB), and variations on the general 810 for the Scan-Based Trading program.
If you’re a direct store delivery supplier, CVS wants even more granular details including the individual store location. This means the EDI documents have different data elements and different reference numbers than the standard invoices used by general warehouse suppliers.
CVS Integration Options
CVS EDI integration comes with different ways to connect:
AS2
Protocol for sending EDI files directly between your server and CVS’s server over the internet.
- Good for: High-volume suppliers sending hundreds or thousands of EDI documents monthly. The per-transaction cost is basically zero once you’re set up, so the math works when you’re doing serious volume.
- Risks: If you choose to do it yourself you’ll be required to update digital certificates when they expire every 1 to 5 years, implement firewall rules that need updates when CVS changes infrastructure and monitor MDN receipts to catch transmission failures.
EDI VAN (Value-Added Network)
Third-party service (like Kleinschmidt) that sits between you and CVS, translating and routing your EDI files. You send data to the VAN, they convert it to proper X12 format, transmit it to CVS, and handle all the technical connectivity.
- Good for: Suppliers without IT staff to manage connections or companies that want their IT teams to focus on larger projects. You don’t need to understand ISA segments, manage certificates, or troubleshoot transmission failures. The VAN handles all of it. Setup is faster—days instead of weeks. Also good if you supply other retailers that have a variety of specifications, as you keep sending and receiving the same format, regardless of your distributors data needs.
- Risks: Minimal. The VAN rotates certificates, monitors connections, updates routing when CVS changes systems.
Your only job is to send your data. VANs like Kleinschmidt can help you manage AS2 connections and not even blink when another of your partners wants another protocol. They’ll help you manage certificates and keep you up to date on trading partner rules plus requirements. Suppliers with IT staff go this route because they’re sending thousands of transactions a month and need their IT team to work on larger scale projects.
The Real Decision Point
It costs you time and money to train someone to maintain AS2 and EDI connections. With a data integration provider like Kleinschmidt, you have 24/7/365 support and EDI plus API experts who act as an extension of your IT team. You get peace of mind knowing your connections are constantly monitored and general maintenance handled. You avoid the risk of doing it yourself and not knowing where your connections went wrong until CVS calls asking where your invoices went.