VAN (Value-Added Network)
A third-party network that routes and translates EDI messages between trading partners, typically charging per-transaction or subscription fees.
How it works — and why it matters
A VAN works like a post office for EDI: each trading partner has a mailbox, and the network picks up, translates, and delivers documents between them. Instead of maintaining a direct connection to every partner, a company connects to the VAN once and can reach any other partner on the network.
VANs simplified partner connectivity for decades, but their per-transaction or per-kilocharacter pricing adds up at freight volumes, and batch-oriented mailbox delivery introduces latency between when a document is sent and when it is processed. Many carriers and brokers now weigh VAN fees against direct AS2 or API connections as their transaction volume grows.