What is an ESN?
ESN stands for Electronic Serial Number. Every phone has a different ESN, just like every human has a different fingerprint. Phone carriers use your ESN to monitor whether your account has any past due bills or has been reported as lost or stolen. Make sure not to confused this with the MEID which is something different.
Before buying or selling a used phone you should always make sure the ESN number is “clean”. To check if the number is clean you can call your phone carrier from the list below. Please call from a number other than the phone you are requesting information on.
AT&T 1-800-331-0500
Verizon 1-800-922-0204
T-Mobile 1-800-866-2453
Sprint 1-888-211-4727
US Cellular 1-888-944-9400
What is the best way to sell my old phone or tablet?
As stated above it is very important to know if your phone has a clean ESN. If it does, you can sell your phone to TechPayout. We offer top dollar for your old electronics with free shipping. Click here to get an instant quote now.
How do I locate my phone’s ESN?
On many phones you can find your ESN directly in your phone’s account settings.
On other phones your ESN will be located on a label underneath the battery
or to side the battery.
How many digits are in an ESN?
Standard ESN numbers are 11 digits long.
Your phone may instead have a ESN HEX number which is 8 digits.
Note: ESNs always use the number 0 (zero) and never the letter O.
What is a Bad ESN?
Your carrier may tell you your phone has a “bad” ESN. This means that it can not be activated with them. If the phone is yours, you either likely have an overdue balance on your account or had previously reported it lost/stolen. In speaking with your carrier you should be able to resolve this. If you received a phone with a bad ESN, you will need to contact the previous owner and have them try to resolve it.
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