Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business Description

First Data Corporation (FDC or the Company) is a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and solutions for merchants, financial institutions, and card issuers. The services the Company provides include merchant transaction processing and acquiring; credit, retail, and debit card issuing and processing; prepaid services; and check verification, settlement and guarantee services; as well as solutions to help clients grow their businesses including the Company's Clover line of payment solutions and related applications.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. Significant accounting policies disclosed therein have not changed.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, they include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and the consolidated results of its operations, comprehensive income (loss), consolidated cash flows and changes in equity for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. Results of operations reported for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year due in part to the seasonality of certain business units.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Presentation

Depreciation and amortization presented as a separate line item on the Company’s unaudited consolidated statements of operations does not include amortization of initial payments for new contracts which is recorded as contra-revenue within “Transaction and processing service fees.” Also not included is amortization related to equity method investments which is netted within “Equity earnings in affiliates.” The following table presents the amounts associated with such amortization for the periods presented:



	Three months ended March 31,
(in millions)	2016		2015
Amortization of initial payments for new contracts	$	15	$	11
Amortization related to equity method investments	9		15

Revenue Recognition

The majority of the Company’s revenues are comprised of: 1) transaction-based fees, which typically constitute a percentage of dollar volume processed; 2) fees per transaction processed; 3) fees per account on file during the period; or 4) some combination thereof.

In multiple-element transactions, revenue is allocated to the separate units of accounting provided each element has stand-alone value to the customer. Stand-alone value is based on the relative selling price of any undelivered items for which delivery is probable and substantially within the Company’s control.

In the case of contracts that the Company owns and manages, revenue is comprised of fees charged to the client, net of interchange fees and assessments charged by the credit card associations, and is recognized at the time the client accepts a point of sale transaction. The fees charged to the client are a percentage of the credit card and signature-based debit card transaction’s dollar value, a fixed amount, or a combination of the two. Personal identification number based debit (PIN-debit) network fees are recognized in “Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other” revenues and expenses in the unaudited consolidated statements of operations. STAR Network access fees charged to clients are assessed on a per transaction basis. Interchange fees and assessments charged by credit card associations to the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries and network fees related to PIN-debit transactions charged by debit networks are as follows for the periods presented:



	Three months ended March 31,
(in millions)	2016		2015
Interchange fees and assessments	$	5,287	$	4,965
PIN-Debit fees	726		710

The Company records deferred revenue when it receives payments or invoices in advance of the delivery of products or the performance of services. The deferred revenue is recognized into earnings when underlying performance obligations are achieved. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, current deferred revenue included within "Accounts payable and accrued liabilities" in the Company's unaudited consolidated balance sheets was $137 million and $140 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, noncurrent deferred revenue included within "Other long-term liabilities" in the Company's unaudited consolidated balance sheets was $154 million and $146 million, respectively.

New Accounting Guidance

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance that requires companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in an exchange for those goods or services. It also requires enhanced disclosures about revenue, provides guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively, and improves guidance for multiple-element arrangements. The guidance applies to any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. As amended in August 2015, the guidance is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 as well as interim periods within those annual periods using either the full retrospective approach or modified retrospective approach. The FASB also permitted early adoption of the standard, but not before December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the impacts of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance which requires lessees to put most leases on their balance sheets. The guidance also modifies the classification criteria and the accounting for sales-type and direct financing leases for lessors and provides new presentation and disclosure requirements for both lessees and lessors. The standard is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will change some aspects of the accounting for stock-based payments to employees. Under the new guidance, companies will be required to record all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement and to present excess tax benefits as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows. The guidance may also change how companies account for forfeitures and an employee’s use of shares to satisfy the employer’s statutory income tax withholding obligation. The new guidance will be effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 as well as interim periods within those annual periods. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.