Audience: EDI developers, B2B integration teams, trading partner technical contacts

If you received a "Transaction Not Created" notification with this error, this article will help you resolve it:

The transaction could not be created because the transaction's data format / version do not match the format / version configured on the relationship.

Every trading relationship in Orderful is configured with a specific data format (JSON or X12) and version. When a transaction is received that doesn't match both settings, Orderful rejects it before processing.

This mismatch can happen in several ways:

The notification email shows the exact mismatch, for example: "Expected JSON version 1, received X12 version 004010" or "Expected X12 005010, received X12 004010."

Before fixing the mismatch, confirm what format and version your relationship is configured for:

The two most common X12 versions are 004010 and 005010 — note that X12 versions are always six characters long. If your trading partner refers to "4010," they mean 004010; "5010" means 005010.

Some partners support sending X12 transactions in multiple versions. In this situation, your partner will ask you to pick a version. Orderful generally recommends using the newest version available. When creating a trade request, you can also double check Orderful's default pre-selected version for in network partner.

For JSON transactions, Orderful uses version 1 — this is the only JSON version currently supported.

The right fix depends on whether you or your trading partner sent the transaction with the wrong format or version.

The notification email shows the sender of the transaction.

This applies when you are the sender of the transaction that failed. Because you control both your relationship configuration and your transactions, you can resolve this without contacting Orderful support.

Option A — Update what you're sending to match the relationship

For JSON format requirements, use Integration Assistance in Orderful to generate sample JSON payloads for your specific transaction type and trading partner.

Option B — Update the relationship to match what you're sending

If you cannot change the format or version you send (for example, because you use a third-party that handles formatting for you), you can update the relationship configuration in Orderful instead:

This applies when your trading partner is the sender and their system is sending a format or version that doesn't match what's configured on the relationship. Because you cannot change what your partner sends, and the relationship configuration needs to be updated to match, this requires Orderful support to make the change.

Contact [email protected] and include:

Once Orderful confirms the relationship configuration has been updated on your partner, request your partner to resend the transaction.

By default, Orderful enforces strict data format and version validation on relationships — a single format and version is expected, and mismatches are rejected.

This is intentional: Strict enforcement keeps data clean and prevents silent format conversions that can cause downstream issues.

However, in specific scenarios - most commonly during a migration from one EDI provider to another - Orderful can configure a relationship to accept both JSON and X12, or multiple X12 versions simultaneously. This allows transactions to flow uninterrupted while both sides complete their migration.

This is not a default setting and should only be requested when there is a clear migration need. Contact [email protected] if you believe this applies to your situation.

I'm sending the same format I always have — why is this failing now?

This usually happens when your trading partner updated the relationship configuration, you switched EDI providers, or your system was updated to send a different X12 version. Check your recent transaction history to see when the format changed.

My partner EDI provider says they can't change the format they send. What do I do?

If your trading partner's provider can't change their format, contact Orderful support to update the relationship configuration (Fix 2).

How do I know which X12 version my trading partner prefers?

Check your trading partner agreement or implementation guide. If you don't have this documentation, Orderful recommends starting with the newest version available. Some trading partners will offer you a choice — confirm before configuring the relationship.

This error started happening after I migrated from my VAN to Orderful. Why? VANs often auto-convert between X12 versions silently, while Orderful validates the exact format configured in your relationship. Your old VAN may have been converting between versions without you knowing. Update your relationship configuration in Orderful to match what your system actually sends.