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How to Add New Transaction Types to Existing Trading Partner Relationships

How do I add an 855, 860, or other transaction type to an existing partner relationship?

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Written by Ashwath Kirthyvasan
Updated yesterday

Audience: EDI developers, B2B integration teams, account administrators

In Orderful, every transaction type traded between two partners is a separate relationship — each with its own guidelines, validation rules, and delivery configuration.

When you attempt to send a transaction type that has not been configured, Orderful rejects it before a transaction is created. How you resolve this depends on your role in the relationship — whether you are the Leader (the party that defines EDI guidelines) or the Follower (the party that follows them).

What This Error Means

When you try to send a transaction type that has not been configured for your trading partner relationship, Orderful rejects the submission before a transaction is created.

JSON submitted via API — the error is returned in the HTTP response body:

{     "type": "unprocessableEntity",     "ref": "relationship",     "message": "Cannot post transaction because the 850_PURCHASE_ORDER relationship between the sender ISA ID PARTNER_ABC and the receiver ISA ID PARTNER_DEF doesn't exist." }

X12 submitted via SFTP or AS2 or upload — the error is delivered via email notification:

The transaction could not be created because the relationship does not exist.

In both cases, no transaction is created in Orderful.

How to Fix It — Leader vs. Follower

How you add a new transaction type depends on your role in the relationship. In Orderful, the Leader is the trading partner that defines EDI guidelines and scenarios. The Follower follows those guidelines. A company can be a Leader in some relationships and a Follower in others.

If you are the Leader

You can add new transaction types self-service:

  1. Go to Scenarios in the left navigation under Setup

  2. Create a new Scenario (or update an existing one) that includes the new transaction type as a step

  3. Publish the Scenario

  4. Issue a change request to your trading partner from the Scenario Testing page and assign the updated Scenario to the relationship

Once the change request is accepted, a new Relationship will be created for the new transaction type and both sides can configure and test it.

If you are the Follower

As a Follower, you cannot add transaction types yourself — new Relationships are created based on Scenarios defined by the Leader.

If the Leader is an Orderful-managed trading partner (such as a major retailer whose EDI requirements are configured by Orderful), contact [email protected] to request the new transaction type be added.

Orderful Support will:

  • Configure the partner-side scenario and guideline for the new transaction type

  • Create the relationship so both sides can configure and begin testing

What to Send Orderful Support (Followers)

When contacting [email protected], include:

  • Your organization name as it appears in Orderful

  • Trading partner name and their ISA ID

  • Your ISA ID for this relationship

  • The transaction types you need added, with direction (e.g., "855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment — outbound from us")

  • Trading partner guidelines for each new transaction type (attach as PDF or document)

  • Any timeline requirements

You can request multiple transaction types in a single ticket — this is more efficient than submitting separate requests. For example:

*"Please add the following for [Partner Name] ([Partner ISA ID]):

  • 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment (outbound from us)

  • 860 Purchase Order Change (inbound to us)

  • 865 Purchase Order Change Acknowledgment (outbound from us)"*

Typical turnaround is 3 business days when complete information is provided upfront.

Frequently Asked Questions

I already have other transaction types with this partner — why can't I just send the new one?
Each transaction type requires its own relationship configuration in Orderful, with separate guidelines and validation rules. Having an 850 relationship active does not automatically enable 855s or 860s, even with the same partner.

How do I know which transaction types I currently have enabled with a partner?
In Orderful, go to Relationships and find your partner. The list shows all currently enabled transaction types and their directions.

How do I know if I am a Leader or a Follower in a relationship?
Open the relationship in Orderful — your role is shown in the relationship details. Remember that your role is relative to each trading partner: you may be a Leader with one partner and a Follower with another.

What if I don't have the partner guidelines for the new transaction type?
Request them from your trading partner before contacting Orderful Support. Guidelines are required to configure the transaction type correctly — Orderful needs the partner's specific field requirements to set up validation rules.

Can I request all transaction types my partner supports at once?
Only request transaction types you actively plan to use. Each one requires testing before going live. Start with your immediate business needs and add others as required.

My trading partner says they support this transaction type — why is Orderful blocking it?
The relationship for that transaction type has not been configured in Orderful yet, regardless of what your partner supports. Follow the steps above based on your Leader or Follower role to get it added.

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