Organization and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization and Basis of Presentation	1. Organization and Basis of Presentation Nature of Operations NOW Inc. (“NOW” or the “Company”) is a holding company headquartered in Houston, Texas that was incorporated in Delaware on November 22, 2013. NOW operates primarily under the DistributionNOW and DNOW brands. NOW is a global distributor of energy products as well as products for industrial applications through its locations in the United States (“U.S.”), Canada and internationally which are geographically positioned to serve the energy and industrial markets in approximately 80 countries. NOW’s energy product offerings are used in the oil and gas industry including upstream drilling and completion, exploration and production, midstream infrastructure development and downstream petroleum refining – as well as in other industries, such as chemical processing, power generation and industrial manufacturing operations. The industrial distribution portion of NOW’s business targets a diverse range of manufacturing and facilities across numerous industries and end markets. NOW also provides supply chain management to drilling contractors, E&P operators, midstream operators and downstream energy companies. NOW’s supplier network consists of thousands of vendors in approximately 40 countries. Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial information include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. Reclassification Certain amounts in the prior periods presented have been reclassified to conform to the current period financial statement presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously reported results of operations. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), which provides optional expedients and exceptions to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. Entities that elect the relief are required to disclose the nature of the optional expedients and exceptions that are adopted and the reasons for the adoptions. The guidance is effective upon issuance and the expedients and exceptions may be applied prospectively through December 31, 2022. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2020-04 on its consolidated financial statements. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326), which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to determine credit loss estimates. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASC Topic 326 using the modified retrospective basis and began to recognize allowance for doubtful accounts (“AFDA”) based on the estimated lifetime expected credit loss related to trade receivables. The adoption of ASC Topic 326 resulted in a cumulative-effect adjustment of $6 million (net of income taxes) to its opening accumulated deficit and AFDA in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 4 “Receivables, net” for additional information. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted this standard and expanded its fair value disclosures to address the quantitative and qualitative requirements of this standard. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for fair value disclosures relating to the impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (Topic 350-40), which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement service contract with the capitalization requirements of costs to develop or obtain internal-use software licenses. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted this standard using the prospective transition approach, with no material impact in its consolidated financial statements.

Organization and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

Nature of Operations

NOW Inc. (“NOW” or the “Company”) is a holding company headquartered in Houston, Texas that was incorporated in Delaware on November 22, 2013. NOW operates primarily under the DistributionNOW and DNOW brands. NOW is a global distributor of energy products as well as products for industrial applications through its locations in the United States (“U.S.”), Canada and internationally which are geographically positioned to serve the energy and industrial markets in approximately 80 countries. NOW’s energy product offerings are used in the oil and gas industry including upstream drilling and completion, exploration and production, midstream infrastructure development and downstream petroleum refining – as well as in other industries, such as chemical processing, power generation and industrial manufacturing operations. The industrial distribution portion of NOW’s business targets a diverse range of manufacturing and facilities across numerous industries and end markets. NOW also provides supply chain management to drilling contractors, E&P operators, midstream operators and downstream energy companies. NOW’s supplier network consists of thousands of vendors in approximately 40 countries.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial information include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Reclassification

Certain amounts in the prior periods presented have been reclassified to conform to the current period financial statement presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously reported results of operations.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), which provides optional expedients and exceptions to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. Entities that elect the relief are required to disclose the nature of the optional expedients and exceptions that are adopted and the reasons for the adoptions. The guidance is effective upon issuance and the expedients and exceptions may be applied prospectively through December 31, 2022. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2020-04 on its consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326), which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to determine credit loss estimates. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASC Topic 326 using the modified retrospective basis and began to recognize allowance for doubtful accounts (“AFDA”) based on the estimated lifetime expected credit loss related to trade receivables. The adoption of ASC Topic 326 resulted in a cumulative-effect adjustment of $6 million (net of income taxes) to its opening accumulated deficit and AFDA in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 4 “Receivables, net” for additional information.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted this standard and expanded its fair value disclosures to address the quantitative and qualitative requirements of this standard. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for fair value disclosures relating to the impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (Topic 350-40), which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement service contract with the capitalization requirements of costs to develop or obtain internal-use software licenses. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted this standard using the prospective transition approach, with no material impact in its consolidated financial statements.