003050F864_1 20 February 1997

864 Text Message 

Functional Group ID=TX 

Introduction:

This Draft Standard for Trial Use contains the format and establishes the data content of the Text Message 

Transaction Set (864) for use within the context of an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) environment. The 

transaction set can be used to provide users with a capability to electronically move messages, contracts, 

explanations, and other one-time communications. It is the intent of this transaction set to provide electronic 

communication (messages) for people, not for computer processing. The use of the transaction set to transmit quasi 

or unique transaction set standards is discouraged. The use of the Text Message transaction set demands of the 

sender certain detailed information about the recipient. The transaction set's purpose is to provide communication to 

the recipient in some human-readable form. The recipient's network will dictate what capabilities are available for 

delivery of the information. It is the responsibility of the sender to obtain this information and include it in the 

transmission. 

Notes: 

1. This transaction set can be used by private industry and federal agencies to exchange text information 

(questions, clarifications, data, etc.) relating to solicitations, proposals, awards, invoices, material safety data 

sheets, etc. 

2. When used in conjunction with another transaction set, e.g., an 843 Response to Request for Quotation, the 

unique reference number of the related transaction set must be cited in the 1/REF/080 segment.

Heading: 

 Pos. Seg. Req. Loop Notes and 

 No. ID Name Des. Max.Use Repeat Comments

Must Use 010 ST Transaction Set Header M 1

Must Use 020 BMG Beginning Segment For Text Message M 1

Not Used 030 DTM Date/Time Reference O 10

LOOP ID - N1 200

Not Used 040 N1 Name O 1

Not Used 050 N2 Additional Name Information O 2

Not Used 060 N3 Address Information O 2

Not Used 070 N4 Geographic Location O 1

Not Used 080 REF Reference Numbers O 12

Not Used 090 PER Administrative Communications Contact O 3

Detail: 

 Pos. Seg. Req. Loop Notes and 

 No. ID Name Des. Max.Use Repeat Comments

LOOP ID - MIT >1

Must Use 010 MIT Message Identification M 1

LOOP ID - N1 200

Not Used 020 N1 Name O 1

Not Used 030 N2 Additional Name Information O 2

Not Used 040 N3 Address Information O 2

Not Used 050 N4 Geographic Location O 1

Not Used 060 REF Reference Numbers O 12

Not Used 070 PER Administrative Communications Contact O 3
864 Tex

003050F864_1 2 20 February 1997

t Message

Must Use 080 MSG Message Text M 100000

Summary: 

 Pos. Seg. Req. Loop Notes and 

 No. ID Name Des. Max.Use Repeat Comments

Must Use 010 SE Transaction Set Trailer M 1
864 Text Message

003050F864_1 3 20 February 1997

 Segment: ST Transaction Set Header 

 Position: 010

 Loop:

Level: Heading 

Usage: Mandatory 

Max Use: 1 

Purpose: To indicate the start of a transaction set and to assign a control number 

Syntax Notes:

Semantic Notes: 1 The transaction set identifier (ST01) used by the translation routines of the 

interchange partners to select the appropriate transaction set definition (e.g., 810 

selects the Invoice Transaction Set). 

Comments:

Data Element Summary 

 Ref. Data 

 Des. Element Name Attributes

Must Use ST01 143 Transaction Set Identifier Code M ID 3/3

Code uniquely identifying a Transaction Set

864 X12.34 Text Message

Must Use ST02 329 Transaction Set Control Number M AN 4/9

Identifying control number that must be unique within the transaction set 

functional group assigned by the originator for a transaction set

Use to transmit a unique number assigned by the originator of the 

transaction set. The number may be system generated. This same number 

will be cited in SE02.
864 Text Message

003050F864_1 4 20 February 1997

 Segment: BMG Beginning Segment For Text Message 

 Position: 020

 Loop:

Level: Heading 

Usage: Mandatory 

Max Use: 1 

Purpose: To indicate the beginning of a Text Message Transaction Set 

Syntax Notes:

Semantic Notes:

Comments: 1 BMG02 contains the message subject. 

Data Element Summary 

 Ref. Data 

 Des. Element Name Attributes

Must Use BMG01 353 Transaction Set Purpose Code M ID 2/2

Code identifying purpose of transaction set

00 Original

Use to indicate an original transmittal.

Not Used BMG02 352 Description O AN 1/80

A free-form description to clarify the related data elements and their content

Use to provide a brief, overall subject of the text message.

Not Used BMG03 640 Transaction Type Code O ID 2/2

Code specifying the type of transaction

 
864 Text Message

003050F864_1 5 20 February 1997

 Segment: MIT Message Identification 

 Position: 010

 Loop: MIT Mandatory 

Level: Detail 

Usage: Mandatory 

Max Use: 1 

Purpose: To identify the beginning of a specific message and to allow the identification of a 

subject for the message 

Syntax Notes:

Semantic Notes: 1 MIT01 contains the message number. 

 2 MIT02 contains the message subject. 

Comments: 1 MIT03 default is 80 characters. 

 2 MIT04 default is 66 lines. 

Notes: Use this segment to identify a more detailed subject of the text message 

Multiple quotes may be submitted within the 864 by submitting multiple MIT loops. 

Data Element Summary 

 Ref. Data 

 Des. Element Name Attributes

Must Use MIT01 127 Reference Number M AN 1/30

Reference number or identification number as defined for a particular 

Transaction Set, or as specified by the Reference Number Qualifier.

A unique number assigned by the originator of the transaction set to identify 

multiple messages contained within this transaction set. For example, the 

number 001 can be used to refer to a message with the subject Packaging 

Requirements cited in MIT02; the number 002 can be used in another 

iteration of this MIT segment to identify a second message with the subject, 

Testing Procedures cited in MIT02.

MIT02 352 Description O AN 1/80

A free-form description to clarify the related data elements and their content

Use to provide the subject of the message.

Not Used MIT03 931 Page Width O N0 1/3

Definition of the maximum number of characters per line that can be expected 

in the message text

Not Used MIT04 932 Page Length Lines O N0 1/3

Definition of the maximum number of lines per page that can be expected in 

the message text
864 Text Message

003050F864_1 6 20 February 1997

 Segment: MSG Message Text 

 Position: 080

 Loop: MIT Mandatory 

Level: Detail 

Usage: Mandatory 

Max Use: 100000 

Purpose: To provide a free form format that would allow the transmission of text information. 

Syntax Notes:

Semantic Notes:

Comments: 1 MSG02 is not related to the specific characteristics of a printer, but identifies top of 

page, advance a line, etc. 

Notes: 1. This segment provides the place to submit quote information. 

2. A separate MSG segment must be used for each field of the quote. They are to be 

numbered sequentially starting with 001. Ex: 

MSG*001SPM50005Q0001.......MSG*002P 

3. Detailed information on the MSG segment validation and field values are 

contained in the document named “864 Validation.doc” available at: 

4. MSG*098 (Mandatory – Signifies the end of the Line Item Loop) 

5. MSG*099 (Mandatory – Signifies the end of the Solicitation Loop)

Data Element Summary 

 Ref. Data 

 Des. Element Name Attributes

Must Use MSG01 933 Free-Form Message Text M AN 1/264

Free-form message text

MSG02 934 Printer Carriage Control Code O ID 2/2

A field to be used for the control of the line feed of the receiving printer

Refer to 003050 Data Element Dictionary for acceptable code values.
864 Text Message

003050F864_1 7 20 February 1997

 Segment: SE Transaction Set Trailer 

 Position: 010

 Loop:

Level: Summary 

Usage: Mandatory 

Max Use: 1 

Purpose: To indicate the end of the transaction set and provide the count of the transmitted 

segments (including the beginning (ST) and ending (SE) segments). 

Syntax Notes:

Semantic Notes:

Comments: 1 SE is the last segment of each transaction set. 

Data Element Summary 

 Ref. Data 

 Des. Element Name Attributes

Must Use SE01 96 Number of Included Segments M N0 1/10

Total number of segments included in a transaction set including ST and SE 

segments

Must Use SE02 329 Transaction Set Control Number M AN 4/9

Identifying control number that must be unique within the transaction set 

functional group assigned by the originator for a transaction set

Cite the same number as the one in ST02.