Equipment and Improvements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Equipment and Improvements

Equipment and Improvements

(5)Equipment and Improvements

Equipment and improvements consisted of the following:

	Estimated
	Useful
	Lives in	September 30,		December 31,
	Years	2018		2017
		(In thousands)
Card processing	3-5	$	117,817	$	102,789
Office equipment	3-5		41,473		37,476
Computer software	3		47,236		38,669
Leasehold improvements	various		16,044		12,764
Furniture and fixtures	5-7		6,160		5,410
Totals			228,730		197,108
Less accumulated depreciation			(127,707)		(106,889)
Foreign currency translation adjustment			908		6,368
Totals		$	101,931	$	96,587

Depreciation expense related to equipment and improvements was $9.1 million and $7.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Depreciation expense related to equipment and improvements was $27.6 million and $22.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

In the nine months ended September 30, 2018, equipment and improvements and accumulated depreciation were each reduced by $8.5 million and $7.6 million, respectively, and in the nine months ended September 30, 2017 by $3.4 million and $3.4 million, respectively, primarily related to asset retirements.  The Company infrequently sells or disposes of assets that are not fully depreciated, and this activity represents an insignificant portion of the total reduction.