Canonical Remittance Advice Implementation Guide and Specifications

Modified on Tue, May 26 at 9:37 AM

ECGrid Simplify

Canonical Remittance Advice Format Specification

Version: 1.0 Date: May 26, 2026 Owner: ECGrid Product

1. Purpose

This document defines the canonical Remittance Advice format used by ECGrid Simplify. It is the single source of truth for remittance advice structure, field definitions, data types, length limits, required fields, and serialization rules across XML and JSON.

The Remittance Advice (RA) document informs vendors of payments made, provides detailed breakdowns of invoice adjustments, deductions, and other payment modifications, and serves as proof of payment. Both XML and JSON representations convey the same logical remittance data. A JSON Schema (Simplify_Remittance_Advice.schema.json) provides machine-enforceable validation. This document is the human-readable companion.

2. Scope

In scope:

Remittance advice document structure (header, payment details, and line items).
Field-level definitions, data types, length limits, and validation rules.
Canonical XML and JSON representations.
Payment method information (check, ACH/EFT, wire transfer).
Invoice-level payment details and adjustment tracking.
Payer and payee party identification and contact details.

Out of scope:

Transport (HTTPS, AS2, SFTP). Covered in ECGrid Simplify API docs.
Functional acknowledgments and application responses.
Accounting ledger posting and reconciliation logic.
Bank-specific payment processing and clearing rules.

3. Document Structure

A Remittance Advice payload contains a single remittance notice. Each notice has a header section with payment metadata, payer/payee information, currency and date details, followed by one or more detail lines representing invoices or credit memos being paid.

Top-level shape:

remittanceAdviceMessage

└── remittanceAdvice (required, exactly one)

├── header (required information)

│ ├── tradingPartnerId

│ ├── documentId

│ ├── paymentAmount

│ ├── paymentMethodCode

│ ├── paymentEffectiveDate

│ └── transactionHandlingCode

├── payee (party receiving payment)

├── payer (party making payment)

├── currency & dateInformation

└── detail[] (1..n invoice line items)

4. Header Fields

The header section contains remittance advice metadata and payment information.

Field	Type	Length	Req	Description	Example
tradingPartnerId	string	1–35	Yes	ECGrid trading partner identifier. Routes the document.	SEV2TEST01
documentId	string	1–35	Yes	Unique identifier for this remittance advice document.	RA-2026-05-001
userId	string	1–35	No	User ID of the person creating the remittance advice.	USER789
sender	string	2–17	Yes	Sender ID (buyer/payer) in the qualifier namespace.	SEV2TEST02
senderQualifier	string	1–4	Yes	Qualifier for sender ID (e.g. SE, ZZ, 01, 14).	SE
receiver	string	2–17	Yes	Receiver ID (vendor/payee) in the qualifier namespace.	SEV2TEST01
receiverQualifier	string	1–4	Yes	Qualifier for receiver ID.	SE
groupSender	string	1–9	No	EDI functional group sender ID.	1
groupReceiver	string	1–9	No	EDI functional group receiver ID.	1
creationDateTime	string	14–17	Yes	Date/time remittance advice was created. YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.	20260526143001
transactionHandlingCode	string	1–3	Yes	Handling code (e.g., 00=Original, 01=Replace, 04=Void).	00
paymentAmount	number	1–17	Yes	Total payment amount. Up to 17 digits incl. decimals.	5250.75
creditDebitCode	string	1	No	Credit (C) or Debit (D) code indicating payment direction.	C
paymentMethodCode	string	1–3	Yes	Payment method (e.g., 01=Check, 02=ACH/EFT, 03=Wire, 04=Card).	01
paymentFormatCode	string	1–3	No	Payment format code (e.g., EDI standard, proprietary).	EDI
checkNumber	string	1–20	No	Check number (if paymentMethodCode = 01).	CHK-987654
electronicFundsTransferNumber	string	1–35	No	EFT/ACH transaction number (if paymentMethodCode = 02).	EFT-2026-05-001
dfiQualifier	string	1–2	No	DFI Qualifier for bank routing (e.g., 01=Routing Number, 02=SWIFT).	01
dfiNumber	string	1–12	No	Depository Financial Institution number (e.g., bank routing number).	021000021
accountNumber	string	1–35	No	Payment account number (partially masked for security).	****3456
paymentEffectiveDate	string	8	Yes	Date payment is effective or cleared. YYYYMMDD.	20260526
batchNumber	string	1–20	No	Batch number for grouping multiple remittances.	BATCH-001
vendorID	string	1–35	No	Vendor/supplier identifier.	VEND12345

5. Currency and Date Information

Field	Type	Length	Req	Description	Example
currency.currencyId	string	1–2	Yes	Currency qualifier. Typically matches senderQualifier.	SE
currency.currency	string	3	Yes	ISO 4217 currency code. 3 chars exact.	USD
currency.currencyExchangeRate	number	1–10	No	Exchange rate if applicable (for multi-currency processing).	1.00
dateInformation.transactionCreation.dateCode	string	1–3	No	Date code qualifier (e.g., 007=Effective Date).	007
dateInformation.transactionCreation.date	string	8	No	Transaction creation date. YYYYMMDD.	20260526
dateInformation.transactionCreation.time	string	0 or 4	No	Transaction creation time. HHMM (24-hour) or empty.	1430
dateInformation.check.dateCode	string	1–3	No	Date code for check date (if applicable).	007
dateInformation.check.date	string	8	No	Check date. YYYYMMDD.	20260526
dateInformation.check.time	string	0 or 4	No	Check time or empty.

6. Party Information Blocks

Payee (vendor receiving payment) and Payer (buyer making payment). Each contains address and contact details.

Field	Type	Length	Req	Description	Example
partyIdentification	string	1–80	Yes	Party identifier value (DUNS, GLN, internal code, etc.).	12345
partyIdentificationTypeCode	string	1–5	Yes	Qualifier for the identifier (e.g. 92=internal, 1=DUNS, UL=GLN).	92
name	string	1–60	Yes	Legal name of the party.	Widget Supplier Inc
name2	string	1–60	No	Secondary name line.	Accounts Payable
name3	string	1–60	No	Tertiary name line.
streetAddress1	string	1–55	Yes	Street address line 1.	456 Oak Ave
streetAddress2	string	1–55	No	Street address line 2.	Suite 200
streetAddress3	string	1–55	No	Street address line 3.
city	string	2–30	Yes	City.	Springfield
cityCode	string	1–10	No	City code if applicable.
stateCode	string	2	No	State or province code. 2 chars for US/CA.	IL
postalCode	string	3–15	Yes	Postal/ZIP code.	62701
countryCode	string	2	Yes	ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code. 2 chars exact.	US
vatNumber	string	1–20	No	VAT/Tax ID number for the party.
dockNumber	string	1–10	No	Dock number (for payee receiving locations).
storeNumber	string	1–10	No	Store number or location code.	STORE-001

7. Detail Line Item

The detail array contains one or more line items representing invoices or credit memos being paid, including amounts, adjustments, and references.

Field	Type	Length	Req	Description	Example
assignedNumber	integer	1–6	Yes	Sequential line number within the detail section.	1
invoiceNumber	string	1–22	Yes	Vendor's invoice number being paid or adjusted.	INV-2026-05-001
invoiceDate	string	8	Yes	Date of the original invoice. YYYYMMDD.	20260515
poNumber	string	1–22	No	Associated purchase order number.	123456
paymentAmount	number	1–17	Yes	Amount being paid for this invoice. Up to 17 digits.	1500.00
netInvoiceAmount	number	1–17	No	Net invoice amount before adjustments.	1600.00
grossInvoiceAmount	number	1–17	No	Gross invoice amount including tax.	1760.00
discountedAmount	number	1–17	No	Total discount taken (early payment, volume, etc.).	100.00
departmentNumber	string	1–10	No	Department number associated with invoice.	DEPT-001
storeNumber	string	1–10	No	Store number for retail transactions.	STORE-002
carrierRefNumber	string	1–35	No	Carrier or shipping reference number.	BOL-2026-0001
freightBillNumber	string	1–35	No	Freight bill or shipping invoice number.	FREIGHT-001
returnGoodsNumber	string	1–35	No	Return goods authorization (RGA) number if applicable.	RGA-2026-001

8. Adjustment Information

Adjustments represent deductions, credits, or other modifications to invoice amounts (e.g., damaged goods, early payment discounts, freight allowances).

Field	Type	Length	Req	Description	Example
adjustment.amount	number	1–17	Yes	Adjustment amount (positive or negative).	50.00
adjustment.reasonCode	string	1–3	Yes	Reason code (e.g., 01=Damage, 02=Early Payment, 03=Freight, 04=Return).	02
adjustment.adjustmentMemo	string	1–80	No	Short memo or reason description.	Early Payment Discount 2%
adjustment.description	string	1–255	No	Detailed description of the adjustment.	Deduction for 2 units damaged in shipment
adjustment.departmentNumber	string	1–10	No	Department associated with adjustment.	DEPT-001
adjustment.poNumber	string	1–22	No	PO number associated with adjustment.	123456
adjustment.storeNumber	string	1–10	No	Store number associated with adjustment.	STORE-001
adjustment.baseItem.lineItemNumber	integer	1–6	No	Line item number on original invoice being adjusted.	3
adjustment.baseItem.invoicedQty	number	1–15	No	Quantity invoiced for the line.	100.0
adjustment.baseItem.qtyUOM	string	2–3	No	Unit of measure (e.g. EA, CS, LB).	EA
adjustment.baseItem.unitPriceNet	number	1–17	No	Net unit price for the line.	15.00
adjustment.baseItem.priceUOM	string	2–3	No	Unit of measure for pricing.	EA

9. Naming Conventions

XML: PascalCase for all element names (e.g. RemittanceAdvice, PaymentAmount, InvoiceNumber).
JSON: camelCase for all field names (e.g. remittanceAdvice, paymentAmount, invoiceNumber).
Field semantics and length limits are identical across both. Only casing differs.
Empty optional values in XML use self-closing tags (e.g. <CheckNumber/>). In JSON, use empty string for string fields or null for objects.

10. XML Example

<RemittanceAdviceMessage>
<RemittanceAdvice>
<TradingPartnerId>SEV2TEST01</TradingPartnerId>
<DocumentId>RA-2026-05-001</DocumentId>
<SenderQualifier>SE</SenderQualifier>
<Sender>SEV2TEST02</Sender>
<ReceiverQualifier>SE</ReceiverQualifier>
<Receiver>SEV2TEST01</Receiver>
<CreationDateTime>20260526143001</CreationDateTime>
<TransactionHandlingCode>00</TransactionHandlingCode>
<PaymentAmount>5250.75</PaymentAmount>
<CreditDebitCode>C</CreditDebitCode>
<PaymentMethodCode>01</PaymentMethodCode>
<CheckNumber>CHK-987654</CheckNumber>
<PaymentEffectiveDate>20260526</PaymentEffectiveDate>
<VendorID>VEND12345</VendorID>
<Currency>
<CurrencyId>SE</CurrencyId>
<Currency>USD</Currency>
</Currency>
<DateInformation>
<TransactionCreation>
<DateCode>007</DateCode>
<Date>20260526</Date>
<Time>1430</Time>
</TransactionCreation>
</DateInformation>
<Payee>
<PartyIdentification>12345</PartyIdentification>
<PartyIdentificationTypeCode>92</PartyIdentificationTypeCode>
<Name>Widget Supplier Inc</Name>
<StreetAddress1>456 Oak Ave</StreetAddress1>
<City>Springfield</City>
<StateCode>IL</StateCode>
<PostalCode>62701</PostalCode>
<CountryCode>US</CountryCode>
</Payee>
<Payer>
<PartyIdentification>54321</PartyIdentification>
<PartyIdentificationTypeCode>92</PartyIdentificationTypeCode>
<Name>Acme Corp</Name>
<StreetAddress1>123 Main St</StreetAddress1>
<City>Albany</City>
<StateCode>NY</StateCode>
<PostalCode>12207</PostalCode>
<CountryCode>US</CountryCode>
</Payer>
<Detail>
<AssignedNumber>1</AssignedNumber>
<InvoiceNumber>INV-2026-05-001</InvoiceNumber>
<InvoiceDate>20260515</InvoiceDate>
<PONumber>123456</PONumber>
<PaymentAmount>3500.00</PaymentAmount>
<NetInvoiceAmount>3600.00</NetInvoiceAmount>
<GrossInvoiceAmount>3960.00</GrossInvoiceAmount>
<DiscountedAmount>100.00</DiscountedAmount>
<DepartmentNumber>DEPT-001</DepartmentNumber>
<Adjustment>
<Amount>100.00</Amount>
<ReasonCode>02</ReasonCode>
<AdjustmentMemo>Early Payment Discount 2%</AdjustmentMemo>
<Description>2% discount for payment within 10 days</Description>
</Adjustment>
<DateInformation>
<TransactionCreation>
<Date>20260526</Date>
</TransactionCreation>
</DateInformation>
</Detail>
<Detail>
<AssignedNumber>2</AssignedNumber>
<InvoiceNumber>INV-2026-05-002</InvoiceNumber>
<InvoiceDate>20260520</InvoiceDate>
<PONumber>123457</PONumber>
<PaymentAmount>1750.75</PaymentAmount>
<NetInvoiceAmount>1750.75</NetInvoiceAmount>
<GrossInvoiceAmount>1925.83</GrossInvoiceAmount>
<DateInformation>
<TransactionCreation>
<Date>20260526</Date>
</TransactionCreation>
</DateInformation>
</Detail>
</RemittanceAdvice>
</RemittanceAdviceMessage>

11. JSON Example

{
"remittanceAdviceMessage": {
"remittanceAdvice": {
"tradingPartnerId": "SEV2TEST01",
"documentId": "RA-2026-05-001",
"senderQualifier": "SE",
"sender": "SEV2TEST02",
"receiverQualifier": "SE",
"receiver": "SEV2TEST01",
"creationDateTime": "20260526143001",
"transactionHandlingCode": "00",
"paymentAmount": 5250.75,
"creditDebitCode": "C",
"paymentMethodCode": "01",
"checkNumber": "CHK-987654",
"paymentEffectiveDate": "20260526",
"vendorID": "VEND12345",
"currency": {
"currencyId": "SE",
"currency": "USD"
},
"dateInformation": {
"transactionCreation": {
"dateCode": "007",
"date": "20260526",
"time": "1430"
}
},
"payee": {
"partyIdentification": "12345",
"partyIdentificationTypeCode": "92",
"name": "Widget Supplier Inc",
"streetAddress1": "456 Oak Ave",
"city": "Springfield",
"stateCode": "IL",
"postalCode": "62701",
"countryCode": "US"
},
"payer": {
"partyIdentification": "54321",
"partyIdentificationTypeCode": "92",
"name": "Acme Corp",
"streetAddress1": "123 Main St",
"city": "Albany",
"stateCode": "NY",
"postalCode": "12207",
"countryCode": "US"
},
"detail": [
{
"assignedNumber": 1,
"invoiceNumber": "INV-2026-05-001",
"invoiceDate": "20260515",
"poNumber": "123456",
"paymentAmount": 3500.00,
"netInvoiceAmount": 3600.00,
"grossInvoiceAmount": 3960.00,
"discountedAmount": 100.00,
"departmentNumber": "DEPT-001",
"adjustment": {
"amount": 100.00,
"reasonCode": "02",
"adjustmentMemo": "Early Payment Discount 2%",
"description": "2% discount for payment within 10 days"
},
"dateInformation": {
"transactionCreation": {
"date": "20260526"
}
}
},
{
"assignedNumber": 2,
"invoiceNumber": "INV-2026-05-002",
"invoiceDate": "20260520",
"poNumber": "123457",
"paymentAmount": 1750.75,
"netInvoiceAmount": 1750.75,
"grossInvoiceAmount": 1925.83,
"dateInformation": {
"transactionCreation": {
"date": "20260526"
}
}
}
]
}
}
}