Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

NOTE 5 — Fair Value Measurements

Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2011 are classified using the fair value hierarchy in the table below:

		00000000		00000000		00000000
	Total		Level 1		Level 2
			(In thousands)
Assets
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$	310,075	$	310,075	$	—
Derivatives:
Foreign currency forward contracts		1,043		—		1,043
Investments:
Time deposits		592,162		—		592,162
Corporate debt securities		268,664		—		268,664

Total assets	$	1,171,944	$	310,075	$	861,869

Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2010 are classified using the fair value hierarchy in the table below:

		00000000		00000000		00000000
	Total		Level 1		Level 2
			(In thousands)
Assets
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$	319,169	$	319,169	$	—
Investments:
Time deposits		414,018		—		414,018
Corporate debt securities		243,963		—		243,963

Total assets	$	977,150	$	319,169	$	657,981


Liabilities
Foreign currency forward contracts	$	1,431	$	—	$	1,431

We classify our cash equivalents and investments within Level 1 and Level 2 as we value our cash equivalents and investments using quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources and models utilizing market observable inputs. Valuation of the foreign currency forward contracts is based on foreign currency exchange rates in active markets, a Level 2 input.

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, our cash and cash equivalents consisted primarily of prime institutional money market funds with maturities of 90 days or less, time deposits as well as bank account balances.

We invest in investment grade corporate debt securities, all of which are classified as available for sale. As of December 31, 2011, we had $57 million of short-term and $212 million of long-term available for sale investments and the amortized cost basis of the investments approximated their fair value with gross unrealized gains of $2 million and gross unrealized losses of $1 million. As of December 31, 2010, we had $81 million of short-term and $163 million of long-term available for sale investments and the amortized cost basis of these investments approximated their fair value with gross unrealized gains of $1 million and gross unrealized losses of less than $1 million.

We also hold time deposit investments with financial institutions. Time deposits with original maturities of less than 90 days are classified as cash equivalents and those with remaining maturities of less than one year are classified within short-term investments. Of the total time deposit investments, $228 million and $88 million as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 related to balances held by our majority-owned subsidiaries.

We use foreign currency forward contracts to economically hedge certain merchant revenue exposures and in lieu of holding certain foreign currency cash for the purpose of economically hedging our foreign currency-denominated operating liabilities. As of December 31, 2011, we were party to outstanding forward contracts hedging our liability and revenue exposures with a total net notional value of $219 million. We had a net forward asset of $1 million as of December 31, 2011 recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets and a net forward liability of $1 million as of December 31, 2010 recorded in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. We recorded $(1) million, $6 million, and $32 million in net gains (losses) from foreign currency forward contracts in 2011, 2010, and 2009.

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of the fair value measurement of assets and liabilities which includes [financial] instruments measured at fair value that are classified in stockholders' equity. Such assets and liabilities may be measured on a recurring or nonrecurring basis. The disclosures which may be required or desired include: (1) for assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis, disclosure may include: (a) the fair value measurements at the reporting date; (b) the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements in their entirety fall, segregating fair value measurements using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1), significant other observable inputs (Level 2), and significant unobservable inputs (Level 3); (c) for fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances, separately presenting changes during the period attributable to the following: (i) total gains or losses for the period (realized and unrealized), segregating those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets), and a description of where those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets) are reported in the statement of income (or activities); (ii) purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements (net); (iii) transfers in and transfers out of Level 3 (for example, transfers due to changes in the observability of significant inputs); (d) the amount of the total gains or losses for the period in subparagraph (c) (i) above included in earnings (or changes in net assets) that are attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to those assets and liabilities still held at the reporting date and a description of where those unrealized gains or losses are reported in the statement of income (or activities); (e) the valuation technique(s) used to measure fair value and a discussion of changes in valuation techniques, if any, during the period and (2) for assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis (for example, impaired assets) disclosure may include, in addition to (a) above: (a) the reasons for the fair value measurements recorded; (b) the same as (b) above; (c) for fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a description of the inputs and the information used to develop the inputs; and (d) the valuation technique(s) used to measure fair value and a discussion of changes, if any, in the valuation technique(s) used to measure similar assets and/or liabilities in prior periods. Where the quoted price in an active market for the identical liability is not available, the Level 1 input is the quoted price of an identical liability when traded as an asset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19279-110258

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 157

-Paragraph 32

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 157

-Paragraph 33

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 107

-Paragraph 10

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19296-110258

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19207-110258

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 157

-Paragraph 6

-Footnote 4

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6925170&loc=d3e19190-110258

+ Details