Acknowledgment Types

X12 includes the following types of acknowledgments:

• TA1 Interchange Acknowledgment

• 997 Functional Acknowledgment

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  Note –

  See Sample Scenario Business Description.

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TA1, Interchange Acknowledgment

The TA1 Interchange Acknowledgment verifies the Interchange Envelopes only. The TA1 is a single segment and is unique in the sense that this single segment is transmitted without the GS/GE envelope structures. A TA1 acknowledgment can be included in an interchange with other Gs and transactions.

997, Functional Acknowledgment

The Transaction Set 997 Functional Acknowledgment includes much more information than the TA1 (see Figure 2–2). This Transaction Set was designed to allow TPs to establish a comprehensive control function as part of the business exchange process.

There is a one-to-one correspondence between Transaction Set 997 and a Functional Group. Segments within this Transaction Set identify whether the Functional Group was accepted or rejected. Data elements that are incorrect can also be identified.

Many EDI implementations have incorporated the acknowledgment process into all of their electronic communications. Typically, Transaction Set 997 is used as a functional acknowledgment to a Functional Group that was transmitted previously.

Transaction Set 997 is the acknowledgment transaction recommended by X12.

The acknowledgment of the receipt of a payment order is an important issue. Most corporate originators want to receive at least a Functional Acknowledgment (Transaction Set 997) from the beneficiary of the payment. Transaction Set 997 is created using the data about the identity and address of the originator found in the ISA and/or GS segments.

Application Acknowledgments

Application acknowledgments are responses sent from the destination system back to the originating system, acknowledging that the transaction has been successfully or unsuccessfully completed.

The application advice (Transaction Set 824) is a generic application acknowledgment that can be used in response to any X12 transaction. However, it has to be set up as a response transaction; only TA1 and Transaction Set 997 transactions are sent out automatically.

Other types of responses from the destination system to the originating system, which can also be considered application acknowledgments, are responses to query transactions, for example, the Eligibility Response (Transaction Set 271) is a response to the Eligibility Inquiry (Transaction Set 270).