Last reviewed October 6, 2026 by Effective Data's EDI specialists.
When the 944 is used, and which way it travels
After receiving an inbound transfer, the warehouse reports what it counted: items, quantities and condition, against the 943’s expectation. The seller’s ERP books inventory into that warehouse on the strength of the 944, which is why discrepancies here surface immediately rather than at the next physical count.
It belongs to the warehouse and inventory group Effective Data lists: item shipments, stock transfers, receipts and inventory updates between sellers and their 3PLs.
Also called the Stock Transfer Receipt. Same document, same number.
The segments, and what each one carries
The published X12 structure, minus the segments most partners never use. Each partner's implementation guide narrows this further: which qualifiers, which identifiers, how many decimals. That guide, not the standard, is what your file is validated against.
| Segment | Name | Part | What it carries |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST | Transaction Set Header | Header | Identifies the document as a 944 and opens the control number the trailer must match. |
| W17 | Warehouse Receipt Identification | Header | The receipt number, its date, and the shipment it answers. |
| N1 | Party Identification | Header | The warehouse reporting and the owner of the stock. |
| W07 | Item Detail for Stock Receipt | Detail | What was actually received, line by line: item, quantity, and condition where it differs from expected. |
| W14 | Total Receipt Information | Summary | Quantities expected, received and damaged, totalled as the reconciliation check. |
| SE | Transaction Set Trailer | Summary | Closes the set. Segment count and control number must match the ST. |
- ST Transaction Set Header Header
- Identifies the document as a 944 and opens the control number the trailer must match.
- W17 Warehouse Receipt Identification Header
- The receipt number, its date, and the shipment it answers.
- N1 Party Identification Header
- The warehouse reporting and the owner of the stock.
- W07 Item Detail for Stock Receipt Detail
- What was actually received, line by line: item, quantity, and condition where it differs from expected.
- W14 Total Receipt Information Summary
- Quantities expected, received and damaged, totalled as the reconciliation check.
- SE Transaction Set Trailer Summary
- Closes the set. Segment count and control number must match the ST.
Why yours is being rejected
Every EDI provider publishes what an 944 is. What matters in production is why one fails, and these are the failure modes we can put a source against today:
-
Receipts that disagree with the 943 and say nothing about why. The W14 totals carry expected against received precisely so a short receipt is explicit; a bare mismatch forces the owner to treat the whole transfer as suspect.
If one of these is happening to you right now, skip to the bottom of the page and describe it. Diagnosing rejected documents is most of what we do.
The documents the 944 travels with
Frequently asked
+ What is an EDI 944?
The Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice: the warehouse’s line-by-line report of what arrived in a stock transfer, against which the stock owner books inventory.
+ How do the 943 and 944 work together?
They are the inbound pair: 943 announces the transfer, 944 confirms the receipt. The outbound pair is the 940 and 945. Together the four are how a seller and a 3PL keep one version of the truth about stock.
Is your 944 failing, or being mandated by a partner?
Describe the situation and a named EDI specialist will tell you what it takes, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
Or call 847.969.9300Answered by a named EDI specialist on the same business day. If we are not the right answer we will say so on the first call.