EID, ICCID and SM-DP+: eSIM Terms Explained in Plain English
Your eSIM email mentions an SM-DP+ address and an activation code; your phone shows an EID. Here is what each term actually means and when you need it.
eSIM documentation is full of acronyms that sound intimidating and mean something simple. Here is the plain-English glossary — and the two you will actually type.
Short answer: the EID is your phone's permanent eSIM chip ID (proof the phone supports eSIM). The SM-DP+ address plus activation code are what you enter to install a plan manually when a QR code will not scan. ICCID identifies the individual plan profile.
EID — your phone's eSIM chip ID
A 32-digit number identifying the embedded SIM hardware in your device. It never changes, and it belongs to the phone, not to any plan.
Why it matters: if your phone shows an EID, it supports eSIM. Dial *#06# or check Settings → General → About (iPhone). No EID means no eSIM support — see does my phone support eSIM.
SM-DP+ — the server your plan comes from
Stands for Subscription Manager Data Preparation+. It is simply the address of the server that holds your plan profile, and it looks like a web domain. When you scan a QR code, you are telling your phone "go to this server and fetch my plan".
Why it matters: if the QR will not scan, you choose Enter details manually and paste this address.
Activation code — the key to your specific profile
A one-time string that tells the SM-DP+ server which profile to release to you. Together with the SM-DP+ address, it is the manual equivalent of the QR code.
Why it matters: these two fields are your fallback when a camera will not focus or the code is on a broken screen.
ICCID — the plan's own serial number
Integrated Circuit Card Identifier: an 18–22 digit number identifying the SIM profile itself (not the phone). Support teams often ask for it when troubleshooting a specific plan.
LPA string — the whole QR in text form
Sometimes you will see something like LPA:1$server.address$ACTIVATIONCODE. That is just the QR code written out: the LPA:1 prefix, the SM-DP+ address, and the activation code, separated by $. Some phones let you paste the whole string at once.
What about IMEI?
The IMEI identifies your phone to networks and has nothing to do with eSIM specifically — it appears next to the EID when you dial *#06#. Carriers use it for unlocking and device checks.
The bottom line
You need the EID once (to confirm your phone qualifies) and the SM-DP+ address + activation code only if a QR fails. Everything else is background. Browse plans for 190+ destinations and install with the step-by-step guide.
Keep this: your SM-DP+ address and activation code are the manual backup for a QR that will not scan. Screenshot them before you fly.
