The MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) is a 14-digit alphanumeric identifier in hexadecimal format (0-9, A-F) historically used to identify devices on older CDMA cellular networks, such as Verizon and Sprint. Unlike the IMEI standard, the MEID lacks the mandatory 15th Luhn check digit.
The most common human error during device verification is transcribing the shorter MEID string instead of the IMEI. Entering an MEID into a standard global validation tool universally triggers an invalid error because the database requires a 15-digit decimal-only input, leading buyers to panic unnecessarily over a legitimate device.
