DTM: which date is which?
There is no single "date" in an EDI message. Order date, requested delivery date, actual delivery date, payment due date — each travels in its own DTM segment, and they all look alike.
What separates them is the qualifier in the first element.
The qualifiers you meet most
| Code | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
137 | Document / message date | |
2 | Requested delivery date | |
35 | Actual delivery date | |
11 | Despatch date | |
13 | Payment due date | |
132 | Estimated arrival | |
356 | Period start |
357 | Period end |
|---|
DTM+137:20260117:102' is the document date; DTM+2:20260125:102' is the delivery date. An integration that reads them interchangeably schedules the order on the wrong day.
The third part: the format
The third element says how to read the value:
| Code | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
102 | YYYYMMDD | 20260117 |
203 | YYYYMMDDHHMM | 202601171030 |
718 | A date range (two dates joined) | 2026010120260630 |
610 | YYYYMM (month) | 202601 |
616 | YYYYWW (week) | 202603 |
|---|
Parsing the value without reading the format code is a common mistake. Treating 202601171030 as 102 and taking the first eight digits gives you the right day while silently dropping the time.
The week format
616 turns up especially in automotive: the delivery week is stated, not the day. 202603 means week three of 2026. Trying to parse that as a date produces nonsense.
A practical check
If you cannot find the date you expect in a file, line up every DTM in the message and read their qualifiers. The date is usually there — under a different code.