Automating Wells Fargo EDI 845 Credit Requests in SAP

One of our clients wanted to streamline their credit authorization process with Wells Fargo. We designed a solution that leverages standard SAP functionality and EDI to automate the process end-to-end.

What is the EDI 845?

The EDI 845, also known as the Price Authorization Acknowledgment/Status, is a transaction used by financial institutions like Wells Fargo to communicate credit authorization decisions. In this process, the 845 acts as a request-and-response document:

Outbound from SAP: Contains details such as customer number, purchase order information, and the credit amount requested.

Inbound from Wells Fargo: Returns an authorization status, which may include approved (with an approval number), denied, or a request for more information.

EDI 845 Credit Request Process Details

1. Order placed

The customer places an order — in this case on a portal — which is then pushed to SAP as an IDOC, creating a sales order in SAP.

2. Order put on hold

This sales order is put on a credit hold delivery block by populating field E1EDK01-LIFSK on the IDOC.

3. IDoc is output

An access key combination was added that includes the delivery block, so that when these orders come in, an ORDRSP IDoc is automatically output to the EDI system for translation.

4. EDI 845 sent to Wells Fargo

This IDoc is translated into an EDI 845 including customer number, credit value requested, PO number, and date, then sent via SFTP to Wells Fargo.

5. Credit Decision is Made, EDI 845 sent back

Wells Fargo sends back an 845 containing an action code describing the status of the request — approved, rejected, invalid customer, insufficient information, etc.

6. EDI 845 received and actioned

If approved, an ORDCHG IDOC updates the sales order, removing the delivery block and adding the authorization number to a header text field. If not approved, an email is generated to the relevant business team for follow-up action.

The result is a seamless integration of Wells Fargo’s credit approval process into SAP. It reduces manual effort, minimizes delays, and ensures timely approvals — helping our client ship orders faster while maintaining strong financial controls. If you have an upcoming Wells Fargo integration, please reach out to us at info@contax.com and ask for Jodi.