Every phone that crosses your counter has an IMEI, a number that identifies that one device. IMEI tracking means recording that number every time the phone moves: when you buy it, sell it, repair it, transfer it or take it back. Do that consistently and you always know where a device came from, where it is now and who it went to.
For a phone shop, that record protects you when buying second-hand stock, settles warranty arguments in seconds and shows the real profit on each phone. This guide covers what to record, how to set it up and the mistakes that make tracking useless.
What IMEI tracking actually means
An IMEI is a 15-digit number that identifies a mobile device. You can show it by dialling *#06#, and it's also in the phone's settings and usually printed on the box. Dual-SIM phones, including those that use an eSIM, have two IMEIs.
The key idea is that you track the unit, not just the product. "Ten Galaxy S26 256 GB" is a quantity. Tracking ten individual phones, each with its own IMEI, cost, condition, location and status, is IMEI tracking. When one goes missing, comes back or needs a repair, you know exactly which one.
Not every device has an IMEI. Wi-Fi-only tablets, some smartwatches and laptops only have a serial number. For those, serial number tracking for phone shops works the same way: one record per unit, built around whichever identifier the device has.
Why every phone shop needs it
Buying second-hand phones safely
When you buy a used phone or take one in as a trade-in, the IMEI is your best defence. Record it from the device itself, along with the seller's details and the phone's condition. Before you pay, check the IMEI against a blocked or stolen device database where one is available, and make sure the phone isn't still locked to the previous owner's account.
The rules on buying second-hand goods, keeping seller records and reporting suspected stolen phones vary from country to country. Check what applies where you trade, and build those steps into your intake routine.
Warranty claims you can prove
A customer brings back a Pixel 11 and says you replaced the screen two months ago. Search the IMEI and you can see whether you did, when, which part you used and whether it's still under warranty. Genuine claims get handled quickly, and claims on devices you never touched are easy to turn down politely.
Repairs with a history
When an iPhone 18 Pro comes in with the same fault for the second time, the device's history tells your technician what was done before, which parts were fitted and who did the work.
Stock that adds up
Phones are your most valuable stock. Counting "nine out of ten" tells you something is wrong. Counting by IMEI tells you which phone is missing, when it was last seen and who last handled it.
Real profit on every device
Second-hand phones are each bought at a different price. Say you buy two iPhone Duo phones, one for €380 and one for €450, and sell both for €560. One earns €180 and the other €110. If you only track an average cost, you'll never see which purchases were good deals and which weren't.
Returns without the swap trick
When a phone comes back for a refund, compare its IMEI with the one on the sale. It's a quick way to make sure the phone on your counter is the one that left your shop.
What to record for every device
Use this as your checklist for each phone, tablet or other serialised device:
- IMEI (both IMEIs on dual-SIM phones) and serial number
- Make, model, storage and colour
- Condition grade, notes and, for used phones, battery health
- Purchase cost and the supplier or seller
- Date received and the store it's in
- Status: in stock, sold, returned, in repair or transferred
- The customer it was sold to and the invoice
- Warranty start and end dates
- Repairs carried out and the parts used
How to set up IMEI tracking in your shop
Work through these steps:
- Decide what gets tracked by unit. Phones, tablets and other high-value devices should be. Cases, cables and screen protectors can stay as ordinary quantity stock.
- Capture the IMEI at intake. Scan the barcode on the box rather than typing 15 digits by hand. For second-hand phones, always read it from the device with *#06#, because a box can belong to a different phone.
- Label every unit. Print a label with the IMEI, SKU and price, so phones in a drawer or display can be scanned instead of searched for.
- Scan at every movement. Sales, returns, repair check-ins and transfers between stores should all be scanned against the IMEI.
- Make it a house rule. No IMEI, no sale and no repair ticket.
- Count by scanning. Count serialised stock regularly by scanning each unit, and investigate any phone that doesn't turn up.
- Limit who can edit records. Only the right roles should change an IMEI or a device's cost, and every change should be logged.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Recording the box instead of the phone. Boxes get swapped. On used devices, always read the IMEI from the phone.
- Recording only one IMEI on dual-SIM phones. A customer or network may quote the other one. Keep both.
- Typing IMEIs by hand. One wrong digit breaks the trail. Scan whenever you can.
- Keeping the list in a separate spreadsheet. If sales and repairs don't update it automatically, it will be out of date within a week.
- Not linking the device to the customer. The IMEI is far more useful when you can see who bought it or brought it in.
- Keeping personal data longer than needed. Seller and customer details are personal data. Data protection rules differ between countries, so check what applies where you trade.
Spreadsheet or IMEI tracking software?
A spreadsheet can work when you handle a handful of phones a month. It starts to fail when you sell, repair and buy phones every day, because every sale, return and transfer has to be typed in twice, and someone always forgets.
IMEI tracking software links the IMEI to the purchase, sale, repair ticket and transfer as you work, so the history builds itself. The real test is simple: can anyone on your team type or scan an IMEI and see that phone's whole story in a few seconds?
How Phonesol handles IMEI tracking
Phonesol is POS and repair shop software built for phone shops, with IMEI tracking built into everyday work. In inventory management, every phone and tablet is tracked by IMEI or serial, with its condition, cost and location, and you can see whether it's in stock, sold, returned, repaired or transferred.
Repair tickets store the IMEI too, so a search shows the device's repair history, parts used and warranty status. Customer profiles link each device and its IMEI to the person who owns it.
You can print labels with the IMEI, transfer devices between stores with a record of each move, and see every change logged against the employee who made it. To get started faster, there are 3,000+ ready-made products, and we offer help importing your existing data.
Try it in your shop
Phonesol starts from €49 a month (prices exclude tax), and most teams learn it in about an hour. Try it free for 14 days with no card needed, or book a demo to see IMEI tracking with your own stock.