Kroger EDI Integration for Grocery & CPG Suppliers

Kroger is America's largest pure-play grocery chain — 2,800+ stores, 35+ banner brands, and distribution centers serving over 60 million households weekly. SBSA Technology handles full EDI compliance for all Kroger fulfillment paths: Distribution Center, store-direct, and drop ship to customer.

Your Kroger Fulfillment Path

Select your ship-to destination to see requirements

1
Receive EDI 850 Purchase Order

Kroger sends the 850 PO specifying a DC ship-to. The PO contains product, quantity, pricing, and delivery window details.

2
Send 855 acknowledgment within 24 hours

Kroger requires PO acknowledgment within 24 hours of receipt. Late 855s negatively affect your Vendor Scorecard rating.

3
Ship within the confirmed delivery window

Kroger enforces strict delivery windows. Early or late arrivals both generate chargebacks under the Supplier Compliance Program.

4
Send 856 ASN prior to shipment arrival

The ASN must reach Kroger's system before the physical goods. Missing or late ASNs trigger a compliance chargeback.

5
Invoice via EDI 810 — one per PO

One invoice per PO. Invoice must match PO pricing exactly or a 824 Application Advice rejection will follow.

1
850 specifies individual store ship-to address

Store-direct POs route shipments to a specific Kroger banner location rather than a centralized DC.

2
GS1-128 carton labels required per store

Every carton must carry a compliant GS1-128 label with store-specific routing information matching the ASN.

3
SSCC-18 pallet labels for pallet shipments

Pallet-level SSCC-18 labels must correlate to the 856 ASN hierarchy. Mismatch triggers a receiving exception.

4
Same 855 / 856 / 810 deadlines apply

All acknowledgment, ASN timing, and invoice accuracy rules are identical to DC shipments.

5
Kroger-branded packing documentation

Store-direct shipments require Kroger packing slips generated from ASN data. Supplier branding must not appear.

1
850 contains end customer delivery address

Drop ship POs include the consumer's address. Kroger acts as the retailer — you ship direct on their behalf.

2
Kroger-branded packing slip is mandatory

All drop ship orders must include Kroger's branded packing slip. The customer must not see your company name or branding.

3
Tracking number required in the 856 ASN

Carrier tracking number is mandatory for all drop ship ASNs. Kroger uses this to update the end customer's order status in real time.

4
Same-day or next-day ASN transmission

Drop ship SLAs are tighter than DC orders. SBSA automates ASN transmission at the moment of fulfillment confirmation.

5
SBSA bridges drop ship to your fulfillment system

Consumer-volume drop ship requires end-to-end automation. SBSA connects Kroger drop ship POs directly to your WMS or ERP.

Which Kroger Supplier Category Are You?

Kroger works with distinct supplier categories, each with its own EDI setup, division codes, and compliance expectations. Understanding where you fit determines your EDI document set and integration approach.

National Brand & CPG

Large CPG and national brand suppliers shipping to Kroger DCs across multiple divisions. Typically require multi-banner EDI setups with separate ISA qualifiers per region.

National Supplier

Regional & Local Brand

Suppliers serving a specific Kroger banner or geographic division. Simpler EDI setup — one banner, one DC network — but the same compliance standards apply as national suppliers.

Regional Supplier

eCommerce & Drop Ship

Suppliers fulfilling orders for Kroger's eCommerce channels — Kroger Delivery and Ship — shipping directly to end customers on Kroger's behalf. Requires tight ASN SLAs and customer-blind packing slips.

Drop Ship Supplier
2,800+ Kroger stores across 35+ regional banners
24 hrs 855 acknowledgment deadline from PO receipt
98%+ Fill rate expected to avoid chargebacks
60M+ Households served weekly across the US

How to Connect to Kroger EDI

Kroger supports three EDI transmission protocols. SBSA Technology configures, monitors, and manages all three — you choose based on your existing infrastructure and Kroger's division requirements.

SFTP

Secure File Transfer

SFTP is used by some Kroger divisions and banner-specific setups, particularly for suppliers onboarding with smaller volume. SBSA manages SFTP polling intervals, file naming conventions, and acknowledgment handling for all Kroger SFTP configurations.

  • Scheduled polling: Configurable intervals, typically 15–30 min
  • File formats: X12 EDI over SFTP
  • Folder structure: SBSA manages inbox/outbox mapping
  • Retry logic: Auto-retry on failed transfers

VAN

Value-Added Network

Kroger accepts EDI via third-party VAN providers including SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, and others. If you already have a VAN relationship from another trading partner, SBSA can route your Kroger documents through your existing VAN to minimize additional connectivity costs.

  • Compatible VANs: SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, DiCentral
  • Leverage existing: Re-use your current VAN setup
  • SBSA translates: Your ERP data → compliant X12
  • Fallback option: Used when AS2 is not yet provisioned

Kroger EDI Integration EDI Transaction Set

SBSA Technology supports core and supplemental Kroger EDI Integration EDI documents. Critical transactions are highlighted because they carry the highest compliance risk when transmitted incorrectly or late.

850

Purchase Order

Kroger sends POs specifying products, quantities, pricing, delivery windows, and ship-to destination (DC, store, or consumer address for drop ship).

Inbound
855

PO Acknowledgment

Sent within 24 hours of PO receipt. Confirms acceptance, quantity, and scheduled ship date at line-item level. Late 855s are a Vendor Scorecard failure.

Outbound 24-hour deadline — automated by SBSA
856

Advance Ship Notice

Must be transmitted before the shipment arrives at Kroger. Includes carton and pallet hierarchy, SSCC-18 labels, and carrier/tracking details. Missing ASN = chargeback.

Outbound Must precede physical arrival
810

Invoice

One invoice per PO. Must match PO pricing exactly. Price discrepancies generate an 824 rejection and delay payment. SBSA validates 810 against the originating 850 before transmission.

Outbound
997

Functional Acknowledgment

Interchange-level acknowledgment confirming receipt of each EDI envelope. Bidirectional — both you and Kroger send 997s. SBSA handles all 997 processing automatically.

Outbound
860

PO Change Request

Kroger may issue 860s to modify an existing PO — updating quantity, pricing, or delivery window. SBSA processes 860s and updates your ERP automatically.

Inbound
753

Routing Request

Used by some Kroger divisions to request carrier routing instructions before shipment. Required when Kroger controls the freight. SBSA configures 753/754 pairs when applicable.

Outbound
824

Application Advice

Kroger sends 824s to communicate transaction acceptance or rejection. Unmonitored 824 errors leave EDI failures invisible until a chargeback appears. SBSA monitors all 824s in real time.

Inbound Often missed — monitored by SBSA

Connect Kroger EDI to Your ERP or Accounting System

SBSA Technology connects Kroger EDI to your existing ERP, WMS, or accounting software — eliminating manual data entry and enabling straight-through processing from PO receipt to invoice generation.

QuickBooks Online – Intuit Silver Partner

Cloud-based accounting for small to mid-size Kroger suppliers. SBSA's QuickBooks Online integration maps Kroger 850 POs to sales orders, auto-generates invoices from ASN data, and reconciles 810s against QB records.

QuickBooks Enterprise - Intuit Silver Partner

On-premise or hosted QB Enterprise for mid-market Kroger suppliers managing higher volumes. SBSA supports advanced inventory, multi-location, and batch order processing within the QB Enterprise environment.

NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite integration for cloud-first Kroger suppliers. SBSA's SuiteApp connects Kroger EDI to NetSuite orders, inventory, and financials — enabling fully automated order-to-cash processing.

SAP

Enterprise SAP integration for large Kroger suppliers. SBSA maps Kroger EDI documents to SAP SD/MM modules — inbound IDocs for POs, outbound for ASN and invoice — using certified SAP middleware.

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Full Dynamics 365 Business Central and Finance & Operations integration. SBSA connects Kroger EDI documents to D365 purchase orders, sales orders, and AP/AR workflows via certified D365 connectors.

Oracle ERP Cloud

Integration with Oracle Fusion Order Management and Inventory. SBSA maps Kroger 850s to Oracle sales orders and returns 856/810 from Oracle confirmations.

Shopify / WMS Platforms

For brands using Shopify as their OMS or third-party WMS platforms (ShipBob, 3PL Central, Logiwa, etc.), SBSA provides API-based integrations that route Kroger orders into your fulfillment workflow.

Custom & Legacy Systems

If your ERP or WMS isn't listed, SBSA builds a custom integration. We've connected EDI to hundreds of systems — flat-file imports, AS/400 mainframes, proprietary ERPs, and everything in between.

What SBSA Automates for Kroger Suppliers

Manual EDI processing is the leading cause of Kroger chargebacks. SBSA's managed automation removes human touchpoints from the transaction cycle — so compliance happens at machine speed, every time.

Instant PO Acknowledgment

ASN Generation at Ship Confirm

GS1-128 & SSCC-18 Label Generation

Invoice Validation & 810 Transmission

824 Application Advice Monitoring

Vendor Scorecard Dashboard

Multi-Banner Division Management

PO Change (860) Processing

Kroger EDI FAQ

Common questions from grocery and CPG suppliers beginning their Kroger EDI compliance journey.

Kroger's core EDI set includes the 850 (Purchase Order), 855 (PO Acknowledgment), 856 (Ship Notice / ASN), 810 (Invoice), and 824 (Application Advice). The 997 Functional Acknowledgment is required bidirectionally. The 824 is the most commonly overlooked document — Kroger uses it to signal transaction rejections, and unmonitored 824s leave compliance errors unresolved until a chargeback appears on your account. SBSA monitors all 824s in real time.

Kroger's Vendor Scorecard measures on-time delivery, in-full fill rate, ASN accuracy, and invoice accuracy on every transaction. Each metric has defined thresholds — consistently falling below them can result in chargebacks, reduced promotional access, or shelf space reallocation. EDI is the primary data source for scorecard calculations: a late 855 acknowledgment, a missing ASN, or a mispriced invoice all contribute to scorecard degradation. SBSA's automation keeps all four metrics at compliance levels by eliminating manual touchpoints from the process.

Kroger requires the 856 ASN to be in their system before the physical shipment arrives at the DC or store. An ASN received after the goods arrive — or one that doesn't match the physical carton and pallet counts — results in a compliance chargeback under the Supplier Compliance Program. SBSA transmits the ASN automatically the moment your shipment is confirmed in your WMS or ERP, ensuring it always precedes the truck.

Yes. All carton shipments to Kroger require GS1-128 (formerly UCC-128) compliant carton labels. Pallet shipments additionally require SSCC-18 pallet labels that match the 856 ASN hierarchy. Kroger's DC receiving systems scan these labels at check-in — mismatch between the label, the ASN, and the physical goods triggers a receiving exception and chargeback. SBSA generates both label types automatically as part of the shipment workflow, pre-validated against Kroger's label specification.

Yes. Kroger's 35+ banner brands — including Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Harris Teeter, Smith's, Fry's, Mariano's, and others — may operate as separate EDI trading partners with distinct ISA qualifiers and divisional EDI mailboxes. SBSA manages all Kroger banner setups from a single integration, sharing the same ERP mapping layer to minimize setup effort and ongoing maintenance. Each banner's compliance requirements are monitored independently through SBSA's platform.

Yes. SBSA is an Intuit Silver Partner and provides certified integrations for both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Enterprise. Kroger 850 POs are mapped to QB Sales Orders automatically, ASN confirmation triggers invoice drafts, and the 810 EDI invoice is reconciled against QuickBooks records. For suppliers using QuickBooks as their primary accounting system, this eliminates all manual data entry between Kroger EDI and your books.

Ready to Become Kroger EDI Compliant?

Tell us your fulfillment path — DC, store-direct, or drop ship — and which Kroger banners you supply. We'll build a complete integration plan for you.