A SPIN, or Service Provider Identification Number, is the unique nine-digit identifier USAC assigns to a company when it registers to participate in E-Rate by filing FCC Form 498. USAC now also calls it a "498 ID." E-Rate SPINs begin with 143, and every funding request, contract, and invoice a provider touches is tied to one.
How It Works
A company gets a SPIN by creating an EPC account and filing FCC Form 498 with its legal company name, contact information, and banking details; USAC validates the banking information before the SPIN becomes active for payment. Once issued, that SPIN goes on Form 470 bid responses and Form 471 funding requests, and it must have a SPAC (FCC Form 473) certified against it every funding year before USAC will pay any invoice tied to it. A single company can hold more than one SPIN, for example across subsidiaries or separate billing arrangements.
Our full guide covers the step-by-step process, how to look up a SPIN, and the difference between a corrective and operational SPIN change (ErateSync: E-Rate SPIN Numbers).
What This Means for You
Service Providers
Your SPIN is your identity in the program: your funding history, applicant relationships, and disbursement track record are all queryable against it. Keep your Form 498 banking and contact information current, and certify your SPAC every year without fail.
Applicants
Get the SPIN in writing from a provider during bidding and confirm it matches the entity you actually selected. A right-company-wrong-SPIN entry on a Form 471 is a routine but avoidable source of corrective filings later.
Companies new to the E-Rate market consistently underestimate how long SPIN and SPAC setup takes relative to when they want to start bidding on Form 470s. The registration and validation steps have their own timeline, and starting them the week you plan to bid is usually too late for that funding cycle.
Common Questions About SPINs
What does SPIN stand for?
Service Provider Identification Number, the unique ID USAC assigns to each participating service provider.
Is a SPIN the same as a 498 ID?
Yes. 498 ID is USAC's current name for the identifier; SPIN remains the term everyone uses in E-Rate.
Can a company have more than one SPIN?
Yes, commonly across subsidiaries, acquisitions, or separate billing arrangements.
What's the difference between a SPIN and changing your SPIN?
This term is the identifier itself. Updating which SPIN is on record for an already-committed FRN, whether to fix an error or replace a provider mid-stream, is a distinct process covered on our SPIN change page.
Informational only, not legal advice. E-Rate procedures and forms can change by funding year. Confirm current requirements in the applicable USAC and FCC guidance.