PID
Product/Item Description. The X12 cross-cutting segment that describes a product in free or coded form.
Definition
The PID (Product/Item Description) segment describes a product or item in an X12 Transaction Set. It carries an Item Description Type (DE 349 — F free, X structured), a Product/Process Characteristic Code (DE 750), an Agency Qualifier Code (DE 559), and a description (DE 352). It plays the role IMD plays in EDIFACT.
Origin
PID is defined by X12.6 in the cross-cutting segment list. It was integrated into commerce Transaction Sets (850, 855, 856, 810) to describe goods exchanged, alongside standardised product codes (UPC, EAN, GTIN).
Example in context
PID*F****HEX HEAD BOLT M8 X 40 ZINC PLATED~Here, type F states a free-form description, and the text gives the full description of a standard metric bolt.