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X12 Qualifier Codes: N1, REF, DTM and Product ID Lookup

Qualifiers decide what a value means: the same N104 can be a DUNS number, a GLN or a buyer assigned code, depending on N103. This list covers the qualifiers that come up most in purchase order, ship notice and invoice maps.

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Segment	Code	Meaning	Typical use
N101	BT	Bill-to party	Invoice address on 850 and 810
N101	ST	Ship-to party	Delivery location on 850, 856, 810
N101	SF	Ship from	Origin on 856 and 810
N101	BY	Buying party (purchaser)	Buyer identification on 850
N101	SE	Selling party	Seller on 810 and 855
N101	VN	Vendor	Supplier identity on 850, 810
N101	SU	Supplier or manufacturer	Manufacturer on 856 or 810
N101	RE	Party to receive commercial invoice remittance	Remit-to on 810
N101	OB	Ordered by	Originator on 850
N101	MA	Party for whom item is ultimately intended	Mark-for or end user in retail 850
N101	BS	Bill and ship to	Single address for both roles
N103	1	D-U-N-S Number, Dun and Bradstreet	Nine digit DUNS in N104
N103	9	D-U-N-S Number with four character suffix	Thirteen character DUNS plus 4
N103	91	Assigned by seller or seller's agent	Customer-specific ship-to code on 850 reply
N103	92	Assigned by buyer or buyer's agent	Vendor number or store number from the buyer
N103	UL	UCC/EAN Location Code (GLN)	13 digit Global Location Number
REF	PO	Purchase order number	Link to the original PO on 856, 810
REF	IV	Seller's invoice number	Reference in payments and remittance
REF	BM	Bill of lading number	Carrier document on 856
REF	CR	Customer reference number	Buyer-defined reference
REF	CO	Customer order number	Sales order reference
REF	DP	Department number	Retail department
REF	IA	Internal vendor number	Your vendor number at the buyer
REF	VR	Vendor ID number	Buyer-assigned vendor identifier
REF	PK	Packing list number	Shipment document on 856
REF	CN	Carrier's reference number (PRO or invoice)	Carrier PRO number
REF	2I	Tracking number	Parcel tracking number
REF	ZZ	Mutually defined	Partner-specific value defined in the guide
DTM	002	Delivery requested	Requested delivery date on 850
DTM	004	Purchase order date	PO date
DTM	010	Requested ship date	Ship date requested on 850
DTM	011	Shipped	Actual ship date on 856
DTM	017	Estimated delivery	Expected arrival on 856
DTM	036	Expiration	Lot or document expiry
DTM	050	Received	Receipt date
DTM	067	Current schedule delivery	Confirmed delivery on 855
DTM	068	Current schedule ship	Confirmed ship date on 855
DTM	097	Transaction creation	Document creation date
PO106	BP	Buyer's part number	Customer part number
PO106	VP	Vendor's (seller's) part number	Your part number
PO106	VN	Vendor's item number	Alternative seller's item identifier
PO106	IN	Buyer's item number	Buyer item or SKU
PO106	MG	Manufacturer's part number	MPN on the order
PO106	SK	Stock keeping unit	SKU
PO106	UP	UCC-12 / UPC consumer package code	12 digit UPC
PO106	EN	EAN/UCC-13	13 digit EAN
PO106	UK	GTIN 14-digit data structure	Case or carton GTIN-14

Code values come from the X12 code lists and are widely used, but each partner implementation guide limits the qualifiers it accepts. A qualifier that is valid in X12 can still be rejected by the partner. Check the guide first.

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How to use this table

Search by code or by meaning. Start with the segment column, then look at what the partner guide permits. For addresses, N101 says the role and N103 says how the party is identified. For dates, DTM01 sets what the date represents. For items, the PO106 style pair (qualifier then ID) tells the receiver which catalog the number belongs to, so a 12 digit UPC must be paired with UP, not VP.

Mapping from ERP fields

In an ERP map you normally translate internal values to these codes. A ship-to customer address becomes N1*ST, the customer part number becomes BP, your own item becomes VP, and the unit price is attached to the same PO1 line. Keep qualifier mappings in a cross reference table instead of hard-coding them in each map, so a partner change only affects one row.

Customer part number maps to BP, own part number to VP.
Ship-to and bill-to need separate N1 loops.
GLN uses qualifier UL in N103 (or 14 and GLN depending on the guide).
Dates always need the DTM qualifier that matches the business meaning.

Common mistakes

Using VP for both vendor and buyer part numbers is the most common mix-up, followed by sending a 13 digit GLN with the DUNS qualifier 1. Another recurring problem is sending DTM 002 where the partner expects 010: the first is requested delivery, the second is requested ship, and a transit time of several days separates them. The result is the order being late by design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between BP and VP?

BP is the buyer's part number, VP is the vendor's part number. On a purchase order you send both so each side can find the item: BP for the customer's catalog, VP for your own. Mixing them up leads to unmatched lines.

Which N103 code is used for a GLN?

UL is the code for UCC/EAN Location Code, which carries a 13 digit GLN. Some guides prefer the qualifier 14 or 1 for DUNS-based identification. Use whichever the partner guide specifies.

What does DTM 002 mean versus 010?

002 is delivery requested and 010 is requested ship. They are different dates separated by transit time. Retail partners often specify which one to use, so check the guide before mapping.

Can I use ZZ in REF01?

ZZ means mutually defined, so it is valid only when both sides agree on the meaning in the guide. Without that agreement, use a specific code like PO, IV or CR.

If your partner qualifier mappings live in many separate maps, Netray can help catalog them and spot conflicts. We can also draft a qualifier cross reference from your existing translator maps.

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