UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q
FORM 10-QQUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ________________ to ________________
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2019
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _______ to _______    
Commission file number: File Number: 1-35335

Groupon, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Groupon, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 27-0903295
(State or other jurisdiction of(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
   
600 WestW Chicago Avenue Suite 400
Chicago, Illinois
 60654
Suite 400(Zip Code)
Chicago
Illinois(312)334-1579
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
312-334-1579Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $0.0001 per shareGRPNNASDAQ Global Select Market
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yesx         No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).        
Yesx        No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filerx                            Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)                             Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes         No  x
As of November 5, 2018,October 31, 2019, there were 570,780,015564,733,867 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding.





TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I. Financial InformationPage
Forward-Looking Statements
Item 1. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 20182019 (unaudited) and December 31, 20172018
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 (unaudited)
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (unaudited)
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited)
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (unaudited)
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative DisclosureDisclosures about Market Risk
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
PART II. Other Information 
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 2. Unregistered salesSales of equity securitiesEquity Securities and useUse of proceedsProceeds
Item 5. Other Information
Item 6. Exhibits
Signatures








2




PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans and our objectives for future operations. The words "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "continue" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to volatility in our operating results; execution of our business and marketing strategies; retaining existing customers and adding new customers; challenges arising from our international operations, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, legal and regulatory developments and any potential adverse impact from the United Kingdom's likely exit from the European Union; retaining and adding high quality merchants; our voucherless offerings; cybersecurity breaches; reliance on cloud-based computing platforms; competing successfully in our industry; changes to merchant payment terms; providing a strong mobile experience for our customers; maintaining and improving our information technology infrastructure; delivery and routing of our emails; claims related to product and service offerings; managing inventory and order fulfillment risks; litigation; managing refund risks; retaining and attracting members of our executive team; completing and realizing the anticipated benefits from acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and strategic investments; lack of control over minority investments; tax liabilities; tax legislation; compliance with domestic and foreign laws and regulations, including the CARD Act, GDPR and regulation of the Internet and e-commerce; classification of our independent contractors;contractors or employees; tax liabilities; tax legislation; protecting our intellectual property; maintaining a strong brand; customer and merchant fraud; payment-related risks; our ability to raise capital if necessary and our outstanding indebtedness; global economic uncertainty; our common stock, including volatility in our stock price; our convertible senior notes; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from the hedge and warrant transactions; and those risks and other factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20172018, and Part II, Item 1A , Risk Factors of our Quarterly Reportreport on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018,2019, as well as in our condensed consolidated financial statements, related notes, and the other financial information appearing elsewhere in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this report to reflect actual results or future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
As used herein, "Groupon," the "Company," "we," "our," "us" and similar terms include Groupon, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.




3




ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA


GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
(unaudited)  (unaudited)  
Assets      
Current assets:      
Cash and cash equivalents$572,358
 $880,129
$567,285
 $841,021
Accounts receivable, net81,478
 98,294
56,094
 69,493
Prepaid expenses and other current assets98,169
 94,025
81,667
 88,115
Total current assets752,005
 1,072,448
705,046
 998,629
Property, equipment and software, net146,897
 151,145
133,071
 143,117
Right-of-use assets - operating leases, net112,133
 
Goodwill327,430
 286,989
319,557
 325,491
Intangible assets, net49,032
 19,196
36,497
 45,401
Investments (including $84,861 and $109,751 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, at fair value)109,306
 135,189
Investments38,124
 108,515
Other non-current assets19,250
 12,538
26,274
 20,989
Total Assets$1,403,920
 $1,677,505
$1,370,702
 $1,642,142
Liabilities and Equity      
Current liabilities:      
Accounts payable$16,810
 $31,968
$21,485
 $38,359
Accrued merchant and supplier payables484,626
 770,335
428,177
 651,781
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities269,726
 331,196
239,104
 267,034
Total current liabilities771,162
 1,133,499
688,766
 957,174
Convertible senior notes, net198,575
 189,753
211,441
 201,669
Operating lease obligations118,408
 
Other non-current liabilities102,543
 102,408
50,961
 100,688
Total Liabilities1,072,280
 1,425,660
1,069,576
 1,259,531
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 9)
 
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 7)
 
Stockholders' Equity      
Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 2,010,000,000 shares authorized; 758,800,610 shares issued and 570,198,368 shares outstanding at September 30, 2018; 748,541,862 shares issued and 559,939,620 shares outstanding at December 31, 201776
 75
Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 2,010,000,000 shares authorized; 769,175,284 shares issued and 563,292,929 shares outstanding at September 30, 2019; 760,939,440 shares issued and 569,084,312 shares outstanding at December 31, 2018
76
 76
Additional paid-in capital2,222,423
 2,174,708
2,294,000
 2,234,560
Treasury stock, at cost, 188,602,242 shares at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017(867,450) (867,450)
Treasury stock, at cost, 205,882,355 and 191,855,128 shares at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018
(922,666) (877,491)
Accumulated deficit(1,056,727) (1,088,204)(1,109,917) (1,010,499)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)32,329
 31,844
38,877
 34,602
Total Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity330,651
 250,973
300,370
 381,248
Noncontrolling interests989
 872
756
 1,363
Total Equity331,640
 251,845
301,126
 382,611
Total Liabilities and Equity$1,403,920
 $1,677,505
$1,370,702
 $1,642,142
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.




4



GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Revenue:              
Service$289,214
 $302,458
 $886,663
 $919,884
$268,080
 $289,214
 $831,510
 $886,663
Product303,669
 332,008
 950,156
 1,050,827
227,532
 303,669
 775,089
 950,156
Total revenue592,883
 634,466
 1,836,819
 1,970,711
495,612
 592,883
 1,606,599
 1,836,819
Cost of revenue:              
Service29,792
 41,858
 91,167
 123,209
28,947
 29,792
 86,169
 91,167
Product257,102
 283,183
 791,120
 900,559
188,725
 257,102
 644,342
 791,120
Total cost of revenue286,894
 325,041
 882,287
 1,023,768
217,672
 286,894
 730,511
 882,287
Gross profit305,989
 309,425
 954,532
 946,943
277,940
 305,989
 876,088
 954,532
Operating expenses:              
Marketing92,717
 101,456
 286,051
 288,456
74,976
 92,717
 257,296
 286,051
Selling, general and administrative160,214
 214,828
 676,399
 677,109
198,327
 160,249
 619,099
 676,318
Restructuring charges35
 11,503
 (81) 18,818
Gain on sale of intangible assets
 (17,149) 
 (17,149)
Total operating expenses252,966
 310,638
 962,369
 967,234
273,303
 252,966
 876,395
 962,369
Income (loss) from operations53,023
 (1,213) (7,837) (20,291)4,637
 53,023
 (307) (7,837)
Other income (expense), net(4,860) 7,546
 (39,832) 8,822
(17,253) (4,860) (92,602) (39,832)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes48,163
 6,333
 (47,669) (11,469)(12,616) 48,163
 (92,909) (47,669)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes988
 2,531
 205
 11,001
2,069
 988
 591
 205
Income (loss) from continuing operations47,175
 3,802
 (47,874) (22,470)(14,685) 47,175
 (93,500) (47,874)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax
 (862) 
 (1,751)
 
 2,162
 
Net income (loss)47,175
 2,940
 (47,874) (24,221)(14,685) 47,175
 (91,338) (47,874)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests(2,560) (2,881) (9,433) (9,460)(2,000) (2,560) (8,080) (9,433)
Net income (loss) attributable to Groupon, Inc.$44,615
 $59
 $(57,307) $(33,681)$(16,685) $44,615
 $(99,418) $(57,307)
              
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:              
Continuing operations$0.08
 $0.00
 $(0.10) $(0.06)$(0.03) $0.08
 $(0.18) $(0.10)
Discontinued operations0.00
 (0.00) 0.00
 (0.00)
 
 0.01 
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share$0.08
 $0.00
 $(0.10) $(0.06)$(0.03) $0.08
 $(0.17) $(0.10)
              
Weighted average number of shares outstanding              
Basic568,634,988
 557,221,040
 565,227,625
 559,726,154
566,971,238
 568,634,988
 568,339,335
 565,227,625
Diluted576,379,421
 566,669,049
 565,227,625
 559,726,154
566,971,238
 576,379,421
 568,339,335
 565,227,625
       
Comprehensive income (loss):       
Net income (loss)$(14,685) $47,175
 $(91,338) $(47,874)
Other comprehensive income (loss):       
Other comprehensive income (loss) from continuing operations:       
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on foreign currency translation adjustments4,439
 (72) 4,426
 1,166
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities (net of tax effect of ($16) and $46 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, and ($51) and $60 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018)
(47) 94
 (151) (842)
Other comprehensive income (loss) from continuing operations4,392
 22
 4,275
 324
Other comprehensive income (loss) from discontinued operations
 
 
 
Other comprehensive income (loss)4,392
 22
 4,275
 324
       
Comprehensive income (loss)(10,293) 47,197
 (87,063) (47,550)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest(2,000) (2,560) (8,080) (9,433)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Groupon, Inc.$(12,293) $44,637
 $(95,143) $(56,983)
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.




5



GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Income (loss) from continuing operations$47,175
 $3,802
 $(47,874) $(22,470)
Other comprehensive income (loss) from continuing operations:       
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on foreign currency translation adjustments(72) (5,034) 1,166
 (10,748)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on defined benefit pension plan
 
 
 585
Available for sale securities:       
Net unrealized gain (loss) during the period94
 (225) (948) (938)
Reclassification adjustment for realized (gain) loss on investment included in income (loss) from continuing operations
 
 106
 (1,341)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities (net of tax effect of $46 and $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $60 and $0 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively)94
 (225) (842) (2,279)
Other comprehensive income (loss) from continuing operations22
 (5,259) 324
 (12,442)
Comprehensive income (loss) from continuing operations47,197
 (1,457) (47,550) (34,912)
        
Income (loss) from discontinued operations
 (862) 
 (1,751)
Other comprehensive income (loss) from discontinued operations - Foreign currency translation adjustments:       
Net unrealized gain (loss) during the period
 
 
 (1,793)
Reclassification adjustment included in net income (loss) from discontinued operations
 
 
 (14,718)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)
 
 
 (16,511)
Comprehensive income (loss) from discontinued operations
 (862) 
 (18,262)
        
Comprehensive income (loss)47,197
 (2,319) (47,550) (53,174)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests(2,560) (2,881) (9,433) (9,460)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Groupon, Inc.$44,637
 $(5,200) $(56,983) $(62,634)
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.


6



GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in thousands, except share amounts)
(unaudited)

 Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity    
 Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Treasury Stock Accumulated Deficit Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity Non-controlling Interests Total Equity
 Shares AmountShares Amount 
Balance at December 31, 2017748,541,862
 $75
 $2,174,708
 (188,602,242) $(867,450) $(1,088,204) $31,844
 $250,973
 $872
 $251,845
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 88,945
 
 88,945
 
 88,945
Reclassification for impact of U.S. tax rate change
 
 
 
 
 (161) 161
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 (57,307) 
 (57,307) 9,433
 (47,874)
Foreign currency translation
 
 
 
 
 
 1,166
 1,166
 
 1,166
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 
 (842) (842) 
 (842)
Exercise of stock options670,393
 
 76
 
 
 
 
 76
 
 76
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units11,007,259
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan1,621,061
 
 5,634
 
 
 
 
 5,634
 
 5,634
Shares issued to settle liability-classified awards1,240,379
 
 6,436
 
 
 
 
 6,436
 
 6,436
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(4,280,344) 
 (19,030) 
 
 
 
 (19,030) 
 (19,030)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 54,600
 
 
 
 
 54,600
 
 54,600
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (9,316) (9,316)
Balance at September 30, 2018758,800,610
 $76
 $2,222,423
 (188,602,242) $(867,450) $(1,056,727) $32,329
 $330,651
 $989
 $331,640
 Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity    
 Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Treasury Stock Accumulated Deficit Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity Non-controlling Interests Total Equity
 Shares AmountShares Amount 
Balance at December 31, 2018760,939,440
 $76
 $2,234,560
 (191,855,128) $(877,491) $(1,010,499) $34,602
 $381,248
 $1,363
 $382,611
Comprehensive income (loss)
 
 ���
 
 
 (42,487) 3,313
 (39,174) 3,479
 (35,695)
Exercise of stock options12,500
 
 8
 
 
 
 
 8
 
 8
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units4,160,415
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan719,297
 
 1,998
 
 
 
 
 1,998
 
 1,998
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(1,585,728) 
 (5,681) 
 
 
 
 (5,681) 
 (5,681)
Repurchases of common stock
 
 
 (4,407,995) (15,055) 
 
 (15,055) 
 (15,055)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 17,731
 
 
 
 
 17,731
 
 17,731
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,521) (3,521)
Balance at March 31, 2019764,245,924
 76
 2,248,616
 (196,263,123) (892,546) (1,052,986) 37,915
 341,075
 1,321
 342,396
Comprehensive income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 (40,246) (3,430) (43,676) 2,601
 (41,075)
Exercise of stock options30,000
 
 32
 
 
 
 
 32
 
 32
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units4,404,213
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(1,524,402) 
 (5,387) 
 
 
 
 (5,387) 
 (5,387)
Repurchases of common stock
 
 
 (4,228,148) (15,053) 
 
 (15,053) 
 (15,053)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 28,339
 

 
 
 
 28,339
 
 28,339
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,113) (3,113)
Balance at June 30, 2019767,155,735
 76
 2,271,600
 (200,491,271) (907,599) (1,093,232) 34,485
 305,330
 809
 306,139
Comprehensive income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 (16,685) 4,392
 (12,293) 2,000
 (10,293)
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units1,986,101
 
 ��
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan766,709
 
 2,085
 
 
 
 
 2,085
 
 2,085
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(733,261) 
 (2,049) 
 
 
 
 (2,049) 
 (2,049)
Repurchases of common stock
 
 
 (5,391,084) (15,067) 
 
 (15,067) 
 (15,067)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 22,364
 
 
 
 
 22,364
 
 22,364
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (2,053) (2,053)
Balance at September 30, 2019769,175,284
 $76
 $2,294,000
 (205,882,355) $(922,666) $(1,109,917) $38,877
 $300,370
 $756
 $301,126
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.




6

GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in thousands, except share amounts)
(unaudited)

 Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity    
 Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Treasury Stock Accumulated Deficit Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total Groupon, Inc. Stockholders' Equity Non-controlling Interests Total Equity
 Shares AmountShares Amount 
Balance at December 31, 2017748,541,862
 $75
 $2,174,708
 (188,602,242) $(867,450) $(1,088,204) $31,844
 $250,973
 $872
 $251,845
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 88,945
 
 88,945
 
 88,945
Reclassification for impact of U.S. tax rate change
 
 
 
 
 (161) 161
 
 
 
Comprehensive income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 (6,888) (2,069) (8,957) 4,093
 (4,864)
Exercise of stock options2,400
 
 6
 
 
 
 
 6
 
 6
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units4,157,462
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan746,773
 
 2,434
 
 
 
 
 2,434
 
 2,434
Shares issues to settle liability-classified awards1,240,379
 
 6,436
 
 
 
 
 6,436
 
 6,436
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(2,024,590) 
 (9,355) 
 
 
 
 (9,355) 
 (9,355)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 18,240
 
 
 
 
 18,240
 
 18,240
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,315) (3,315)
Balance at March 31, 2018752,664,286
 75
 2,192,469
 (188,602,242) (867,450) (1,006,308) 29,936
 348,722
 1,650
 350,372
Comprehensive income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 (95,034) 2,371
 (92,663) 2,780
 (89,883)
Exercise of stock options665,343
 
 64
 
 
 
 
 64
 
 64
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units3,628,257
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(1,151,259) 
 (5,144) 
 
 
 
 (5,144) 
 (5,144)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 19,353
 
 
 
 
 19,353
 
 19,353
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,625) (3,625)
Balance at June 30, 2018755,806,627
 76
 2,206,741
 (188,602,242) (867,450) (1,101,342) 32,307
 270,332
 805
 271,137
Comprehensive income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 44,615
 22
 44,637
 2,560
 47,197
Exercise of stock options2,650
 
 6
 
 
 
 
 6
 
 6
Vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units3,221,540
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan874,288
 
 3,200
 
 
 
 
 3,200
 
 3,200
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(1,104,495) 
 (4,531) 
 
 
 
 (4,531) 
 (4,531)
Stock-based compensation on equity-classified awards
 
 17,007
 
 
 
 
 17,007
 
 17,007
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (2,376) (2,376)
Balance at September 30, 2018758,800,610
 $76
 $2,222,423
 (188,602,242) $(867,450) $(1,056,727) $32,329
 $330,651
 $989
 $331,640
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.


7



GROUPON,GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017
Operating activities   
Net income (loss)$(47,874) $(24,221)
Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax
 (1,751)
Income (loss) from continuing operations(47,874) (22,470)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:   
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and software76,984
 86,355
Amortization of acquired intangible assets10,316
 17,622
Stock-based compensation50,670
 60,318
Gain on sale of intangible assets
 (17,149)
Gain on sale of investment
 (7,624)
Impairments of investments10,156
 
Deferred income taxes(6,575) 845
(Gain) loss from changes in fair value of investments8,312
 5,100
Amortization of debt discount on convertible senior notes8,822
 7,964
Change in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:   
Accounts receivable20,217
 787
Prepaid expenses and other current assets(2,695) (3,114)
Accounts payable(16,034) (5,616)
Accrued merchant and supplier payables(214,748) (197,836)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities(45,175) (39,396)
Other, net14,663
 (21,490)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations(132,961) (135,704)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations
 (2,195)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities(132,961) (137,899)
Investing activities   
Purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software(53,611) (43,716)
Proceeds from sale of intangible assets1,500
 18,333
Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments8,594
 16,561
Acquisition of business, net of acquired cash(57,821) 
Acquisitions of intangible assets and other investing activities(17,147) (750)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities from continuing operations(118,485) (9,572)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities from discontinued operations
 (9,548)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities(118,485) (19,120)
Financing activities   
Payments for purchases of treasury stock
 (61,233)
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(18,638) (23,340)
Proceeds from stock option exercises and employee stock purchase plan5,710
 5,486
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders(9,316) (8,974)
Payments of capital lease obligations(25,289) (25,298)
Payments of contingent consideration related to acquisitions(1,815) (7,790)
Other financing activities
 (473)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities(49,348) (121,622)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, including cash classified within current assets of discontinued operations(9,287) 23,275
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, including cash classified within current assets of discontinued operations(310,081) (255,366)
Less: Net increase (decrease) in cash classified within current assets of discontinued operations
 (28,866)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash(310,081) (226,500)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period885,481
 874,906
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period$575,400
 $648,406


8




Non-cash investing and financing activities   
Continuing operations:   
Equipment acquired under capital lease obligations$13,789
 $17,892
Leasehold improvements funded by lessor557
 402
Increase (decrease) in liabilities related to purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software699
 396
Investments acquired in connection with business dispositions
 2,022
Contingent consideration liability incurred in connection with acquisition of business1,589
 
Financing obligation incurred in connection with acquisition of business8,604
 
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018
Operating activities   
Net income (loss)$(91,338) $(47,874)
Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax2,162
 
Income (loss) from continuing operations(93,500) (47,874)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:   
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and software69,986
 76,984
Amortization of acquired intangible assets11,419
 10,316
Stock-based compensation62,517
 50,670
Impairments of investments
 10,156
Deferred income taxes816
 (6,575)
(Gain) loss from changes in fair value of investments68,971
 8,312
Amortization of debt discount on convertible senior notes9,772
 8,822
Change in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:   
Accounts receivable12,581
 20,217
Prepaid expenses and other current assets2,591
 (2,695)
Accounts payable(16,892) (16,034)
Accrued merchant and supplier payables(216,127) (214,748)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities(62,728) (45,175)
Other, net20,476
 14,663
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations(130,118) (132,961)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations
 
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities(130,118) (132,961)
Investing activities   
Purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software(51,854) (53,611)
Proceeds from sale of intangible assets
 1,500
Proceeds from sale of investment
 8,594
Acquisition of business, net of acquired cash
 (57,821)
Acquisitions of intangible assets and other investing activities(3,037) (17,147)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities from continuing operations(54,891) (118,485)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities from discontinued operations
 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities(54,891) (118,485)
Financing activities   
Issuance costs for revolving credit agreement(2,384) 
Payments for repurchases of common stock(44,162) 
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards(13,975) (18,638)
Proceeds from stock option exercises and employee stock purchase plan4,123
 5,710
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders(8,687) (9,316)
Payments of finance lease obligations(16,868) (25,289)
Payments of contingent consideration related to acquisitions
 (1,815)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities(81,953) (49,348)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, including cash classified within current assets of discontinued operations(9,153) (9,287)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, including cash classified within current assets of discontinued operations(276,115) (310,081)
Less: Net increase (decrease) in cash classified within current assets of discontinued operations
 
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash(276,115) (310,081)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (1)
844,728
 885,481
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period (1)
$568,613
 $575,400
Non-cash investing and financing activities   
Continuing operations:   
Equipment acquired under capital lease arrangements (2)
$3,865
 $13,789
Leasehold improvements funded by lessor
 557
Liability for repurchases of common stock(1,469) 
Increase (decrease) in liabilities related to purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software(201) 699
Contingent consideration liabilities incurred in connection with acquisition of business
 1,589
Financing obligation incurred in connection with acquisition of business
 8,604



8

GROUPON, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

(1)The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown above to amounts reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2019, December 31, 2018, September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 and amounts previously reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheet in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents$567,285
 $841,021
 $572,358
 $880,129
Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets1,101
 3,320
 2,649
 4,932
Restricted cash included in other non-current assets227
 387
 393
 420
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$568,613
 $844,728
 $575,400
 $885,481

(2)
Please refer to Note 6, Leases, for supplemental cash flow information on our leasing obligations, as required by our adoption of ASU 2016-02, Leases ("Topic 842"), on January 1, 2019.

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.




9



GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)


1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Company Information
Groupon, Inc. and its subsidiaries, which commenced operations in October 2008, operatesoperate online local commerce marketplaces throughout the world that connect merchants to consumers by offering goods and services, generally at a discount. Customers access those marketplaces through our websites, primarily localized groupon.com sites in many countries, and our mobile applications.
Our operations are organized into two2 segments: North America and International. See Note 16, 13, Segment Information.
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
We have prepared the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") for interim financial reporting. These condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and, in our opinion, include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments and accruals, necessary for a fair presentation of the condensed consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), cash flows and stockholders' equity for the periods presented. Operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2018.2019. Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017,2018, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2018, as amended by the Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on March 23, 2018.12, 2019.
Principles of Consolidation
The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Groupon, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and include the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses of all wholly-owned subsidiaries and majority-owned subsidiaries over which we exercise control and a variable interest entitiesentity for which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary. In the first quarter of 2019, we extended our arrangement through July 2022 with the strategic partner in the variable interest entity that we consolidate. Outside stockholders' interests in subsidiaries are shown on the condensed consolidated financial statements as Noncontrolling interests. Equity investmentsInvestments in entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest are accounted for under the equity method, the fair value option, as available-for-sale securities or at cost adjusted for observable price changes and impairments, as appropriate.
Adoption of New Accounting Standards
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), on January 1, 2019. This ASU requires the recognition of lease assets and liabilities for operating leases, in addition to the finance lease assets and liabilities historically recorded on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 6, Leases, for information on the impact of adopting Topic 842 on our accounting policies.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, on January 1, 2019. This ASU expands the scope to make the guidance for share-based payment awards to nonemployees consistent with the guidance for share-based payment awards to employees. The adoption of ASU 2018-07 did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) - Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, on January 1, 2019. This ASU requires entities in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to follow the guidance in Subtopic 350-40, Internal Use Software, to determine which costs to implement the service contract would be capitalized as an asset related to the service contract and which costs would be expensed. The requirements of ASU 2018-15 have been applied on a prospective basis to implementation costs incurred on or after January 1, 2019. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2018-15, we capitalized $2.4 million and $5.2 million of implementation costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. Those capitalized costs are included within Other non-current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2019. We have not recognized any amortization related to these implementation costs. We will amortize the implementation costs on a straight-line basis over the term of the associated hosting arrangement for each module or component of the related hosting arrangement when it is ready for its intended use. Amortization costs will be recorded in Selling, general and administrative expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Reclassifications and Terminology Changes
Certain reclassifications have been made to the condensed consolidated financial statements of prior periods and the accompanying notes to conform to the current period presentation, including the change in presentation of restricted cash in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows upon adoption of ASU 2016-18. Refer to Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards, for additional information. Additionally, in prior years, we referred to our product revenue and service revenue as "direct revenue" and "third-party and other revenue," respectively. This terminology change did not impact the amounts presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements.presentation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and the related disclosures of contingent liabilities in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers, income taxes, initial valuation and subsequent impairment testing of goodwill and intangible assets, investments, customer refunds, contingent liabilities and the useful lives of property, equipment and software and intangible assets. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
2. ADOPTION OF NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
We adopted the guidance in ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on January 1, 2018. Topic 606 is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. See Changes to Accounting Policies from Adoption of New Accounting Standards below and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 on our accounting policies.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments (Topic 825-10) - Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, as amended, on January 1, 2018. This ASU generally requires equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through net income and eliminates the cost method for equity securities. However, for equity investments without readily determinable fair values the ASU permits entities to elect to measure the investments at cost adjusted for observable price changes and impairments, with changes in the measurement recognized through net income. We applied that measurement alternative to our equity investments that were previously accounted for under the cost method. The adoption of ASU 2016-01 did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements. See Changes to Accounting Policies from Adoption of New Accounting Standards below for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU on our accounting policies.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash, on January 1, 2018. This ASU requires companies to include amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents, along with cash and cash equivalents, when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Previously, changes in restricted cash were reported within cash flows from operating activities. We applied that change in cash flow classification on a retrospective basis, which resulted in a decrease of $2.6 million to net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.
Restricted cash primarily represents amounts that we are unable to access for operational purposes pursuant to letters of credit with financial institutions. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets to amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, as of September 30, 2018 and 2017 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents$572,358
 $638,657
 $880,129
Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets2,649
 4,375
 4,932
Restricted cash included in other non-current assets393
 5,374
 420
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$575,400
 $648,406
 $885,481
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2017-05, Other Income-Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20) - Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets, on January 1, 2018. This ASU is meant to clarify the scope of ASC Subtopic 610-20, Other Income-Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets, and to add guidance for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. The adoption of ASU 2017-05 did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, on January 1, 2018. This ASU requires employers to include only the service cost component of net periodic pension cost in operating expenses, together with other employee compensation costs. The other components of net periodic pension cost, including interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service cost and settlement and curtailment effects, are to be included in non-operating expenses. The adoption of ASU 2017-07 did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Scope of Modification Accounting, on January 1, 2018. This ASU clarifies the changes to terms or conditions of a share-based payment award that require an entity to apply modification accounting. The adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
We adopted the guidance in ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) - Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, as of January 1, 2018. This ASU permits a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Jobs Act"). As a result of the adoption of ASU 2018-02, we reclassified $0.2 million from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to accumulated deficit.
Changes to Accounting Policies from Adoption of New Accounting Standards
Revenue Recognition
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we recognized revenue when the following criteria were met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement existed; delivery had occurred; the selling price was fixed or determinable and collection was reasonably assured. Following our adoption of Topic 606, we recognize revenue when we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring a promised good or service to a customer. Substantially all of our performance obligations are satisfied at a point in time rather than over time.
Product Revenue
We generate product revenue from direct sales of merchandise inventory through our Goods category. For product revenue transactions, we are the primary party responsible for providing the good to the customer, we have inventory risk and we have discretion in establishing prices. As such, product revenue is reported on a gross basis as the purchase price received from the customer. Product revenue, including associated shipping revenue, is recognized when title passes to the customer upon delivery of the product.
Service Revenue
Service revenue is primarily earned from transactions in which we earn commissions by selling goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants. Those transactions generally involve a customer's purchase of a voucher through one of our online marketplaces that can be redeemed with a third-party merchant for specified goods or services (or for discounts on specified goods or services). Service revenue from those transactions is reported on a net basis as the purchase price collected from the customer less the portion of the purchase price that is payable to the third-party merchant. We recognize revenue from those transactions when our commission has been earned, which occurs when a sale through one of our online marketplaces is completed and the related voucher has been made available to the customer. We believe that our remaining obligations to remit payment to the merchant and to provide information about vouchers sold are administrative activities that are immaterial in the context of the contract with the merchant. Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we deferred the revenue from hotel reservation offerings until the customer's stay commenced. Following our adoption of Topic 606, revenue from hotel reservation offerings is recognized at the time the reservation is made, net of an allowance for estimated cancellations.
We also earn commissions when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications and from voucherless merchant offerings in which customers earn cash back on their credit card statements when they transact with third-party merchants. We recognize those commissions as revenue in the period in which the underlying transactions between the customer and the third-party merchant are completed.
Variable Consideration for Unredeemed Vouchers
For merchant agreements with redemption payment terms, the merchant is not paid its share of the sale price for a voucher sold through one of our online marketplaces until the customer redeems the related voucher. If the customer does not redeem a voucher with such merchant payment terms, we retain all of the gross billings for that voucher, rather than retaining only our net commission. Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we recognized that variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers and derecognized the related accrued merchant payables when our legal obligation to the merchant expired, which we believe is shortly after the voucher expiration date in most jurisdictions. Following our adoption of Topic 606, we estimate the variable consideration from vouchers that will not ultimately be redeemed and recognize that amount as revenue at the time of sale, rather than when our legal obligation expires. We estimate variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers using our historical voucher redemption experience. If actual redemptions differ from our estimates, the effects could be material to the condensed consolidated financial statements.
Refunds
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, refunds were recorded as a reduction of revenue, except for refunds on service revenue transactions for which the merchant's share was not recoverable, which were presented as a cost of revenue. Following our adoption of Topic 606, all refunds are recorded as a reduction of revenue. The liability for estimated refunds is included within Accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
We estimate our refund reserve using historical refund experience by deal category. We assess the trends that could affect our estimates on an ongoing basis and make adjustments to the refund reserve calculations if it appears that changes in circumstances, including changes to the refund policies or general economic conditions, may cause future refunds to differ from our initial estimates. If actual refunds differ from our estimates, the effects could be material to the condensed consolidated financial statements.
Discounts, Customer Credits and Other Consideration Payable to Customers
We provide discount offers to encourage purchases of goods and services through our online marketplaces. We record discounts as a reduction of revenue.
Additionally, we issue credits to customers that can be applied to future purchases through our online marketplaces. Credits are primarily issued as consideration for refunds. To a lesser extent, credits are issued for customer relationship purposes. Credits issued to satisfy refund requests are applied as a reduction to the refunds reserve. Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, customer credits issued for relationship purposes were classified in the condensed consolidated statement of operations as a marketing expense. Following the adoption of Topic 606, customer credits issued for relationship purposes are classified as a reduction of revenue.
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we recognized breakage income for unused customer credits when they expired or were forfeited. Following our adoption of Topic 606, breakage income from customer credits that are not expected to be used is estimated and recognized as revenue in proportion to the pattern of redemption for customer credits that are used.
Sales and Related Taxes
Sales, use, value-added and related taxes that are imposed on specific revenue-generating transactions are presented on a net basis and excluded from revenue.
Costs of Obtaining Contracts
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we expensed the incremental costs to obtain contracts with third-party merchants, such as sales commissions, as incurred. Following our adoption of Topic 606, those costs are deferred and recognized over the expected period of the merchant arrangement, generally from 12 to 18 months. As of September 30, 2018, we had $3.1 million and $11.0 million of deferred contract acquisition costs recorded within Prepaid expenses and other current assets and Other non-current assets, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, we amortized $6.2 million and $19.5 million, respectively, of deferred contract acquisition costs and did not recognize any impairment losses in relation to the deferred costs. Those costs are classified within Selling, general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue is comprised of direct and certain indirect costs incurred to generate revenue. Costs incurred to generate revenue, which include credit card processing fees, editorial costs, compensation expense for technology support personnel who are responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of our websites, amortization of internal-use software relating to customer-facing applications, web hosting and other processing fees are attributed to the cost of service and product revenue in proportion to gross billings during the period. For product revenue transactions, cost of revenue also includes the cost of inventory, shipping and fulfillment costs and inventory markdowns. Fulfillment costs are comprised of third-party logistics provider costs, as well as rent, depreciation, personnel costs and other costs of operating our fulfillment center. Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, cost of revenue on service revenue transactions also included refunds for which the merchant's share was not recoverable.
Investments
Prior to our adoption of the guidance in ASU 2016-01, investments in nonmarketable equity shares with no redemption provisions that are not common stock or in-substance common stock or for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence were accounted for using the cost method of accounting. Those investments are classified within Investments on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Under the cost method of accounting, investments were carried at cost and adjusted only for other-than-temporary declines in fair value, certain distributions and additional investments. Subsequent to our adoption of the guidance in ASU 2016-01, we apply a measurement alternative for equity investments without readily determinable fair values that permits entities to elect to measure the investments at cost adjusted for observable price changes and impairments, with changes in the measurement recognized through net income.
Investments in common stock or in-substance common stock for which we have the ability to exercise significant influence are accounted for under the equity method, except where we have made an irrevocable election to account for the investments at fair value. Those investments are classified within Investments on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The proportionate share of income or loss on equity method investments and changes in the fair values of investments for which the fair value option has been elected are presented within Other income (expense), net on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Investments in convertible debt securities and convertible redeemable preferred shares are accounted for as available-for-sale securities, which are classified within Investments on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value each reporting period. Unrealized gains and losses, net of the related tax effects, are excluded from earnings and recorded as a separate component within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) on the condensed consolidated balance sheets until realized. Interest income from available-for-sale securities is reported within Other income (expense), net on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
3. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS AND OTHER BUSINESS DISPOSITIONS
In October 2016, we completed a strategic review of our international markets in connection with our efforts to optimize our global footprint and focus on the markets that we believe have the greatest potential to benefit our long-term financial performance. Based on that review, we decided to focus our business on 15 core countries and to pursue strategic alternatives for our operations in the remaining 11 countries, which were primarily based in Asia and Latin America. The dispositions of our operations in those 11 countries were completed between November 2016 and March 2017.
A business disposition that represents a strategic shift and has (or will have) a major effect on our operations and financial results is reported as a discontinued operation. We determined that the decision reached by management and our Board of Directors to exit those 11 non-core countries, which comprised a substantial majority of the operations outside of North America and EMEA, represented a strategic shift in our business. Additionally, based on our review of quantitative and qualitative factors relevant to the dispositions, we determined that the disposition of the businesses in those countries would have a major effect on our operations and financial results. As such, the results of operations and cash flows for the operations in those countries, including the gains and losses on the dispositions and related income tax effects, are presented as discontinued operations in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.
Dispositions Completed in 2017
In connection with our strategic initiative to exit non-core countries as discussed above, we sold an 83% controlling stake in our subsidiary in Israel and sold our subsidiaries in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore and Hong Kong during the first quarter 2017. We recognized a net pretax loss on those dispositions of $1.6 million, which consisted of the following (in thousands):
Net consideration received: 
Fair value of minority investments retained or acquired$2,021
Cash proceeds received3,462
Cash proceeds receivable2,000
Less: transaction costs1,394
Total net consideration received6,089
Cumulative translation gain reclassified to earnings14,718
Less: Net book value upon closing of the transactions14,958
Less: Indemnification liabilities (1)
5,365
Less: Unfavorable contract liability for transition services2,114
Loss on dispositions$(1,630)
(1)
See Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, for additional information about the indemnification liabilities.
Results of Discontinued Operations
The following table summarizes the major classes of line items included in income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 (in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended September 30, 2017 (1)
 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 (2)
Service revenue$
 $12,602
Product revenue
 2,962
Service cost of revenue
 (2,557)
Product cost of revenue
 (3,098)
Marketing expense
 (1,239)
Selling, general and administrative expense(500) (11,784)
Restructuring
 (778)
Other income, net
 3,852
Income (loss) from discontinued operations before loss on dispositions and provision for income taxes(500) (40)
Loss on dispositions(362) (1,630)
Provision for income taxes
 (81)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax$(862) $(1,751)
(1)
Selling, general and administrative expense from discontinued operations for the three months ended September 30, 2017 primarily related to increases to contingent liabilities under indemnification agreements. See Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, for information about indemnification obligations related to discontinued operations.
(2)The income (loss) from discontinued operations before loss on dispositions and provision for income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 includes the results of each business through its respective disposition date.
4. BUSINESS COMBINATIONS
On April 30, 2018, we acquired 80% of the outstanding shares of Cloud Savings Company, Ltd. ("Cloud Savings"), a UK-based business that operates online discount code and digital gift card platforms. The primary purpose of this acquisition was to expand digital coupon offerings in our International segment. Concurrent with the acquisition, we entered into an agreement with the noncontrolling shareholder giving us the right to acquire the remaining outstanding shares of Cloud Savings for $8.9 million in December 2018. Additionally, the noncontrolling shareholder has the right to require us to purchase the shares in December 2018 for that same amount. The rights and obligations to acquire the remaining outstanding shares were recorded as a financing obligation at its acquisition-date fair value of $8.6 million and is classified within Accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The transaction also included a contingent consideration arrangement with an acquisition-date fair value of $1.6 million. The aggregate acquisition-date fair value of the consideration transferred for the Cloud Savings acquisition totaled $74.3 million, which consisted of the following (in thousands):
Cash$64,065
Financing obligation 
8,604
Contingent consideration1,589
Total$74,258
The results of the Cloud Savings acquisition are included in our condensed consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition through September 30, 2018. The fair value of consideration transferred in the business combination is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, with the remaining unallocated amount recorded as goodwill. Acquired goodwill represents the premium paid over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. We paid a premium for a number of reasons, including growing our merchant base and acquiring an assembled workforce. The goodwill from this business combination is not deductible for tax purposes. The allocation of the acquisition price has been prepared on a preliminary basis, and changes to that allocation may occur as a result of final working capital adjustments and tax return filings.
The following table summarizes the allocation of the aggregate acquisition price of the Cloud Savings acquisition (in thousands):
Cash and cash equivalents$6,244
Accounts receivable5,885
Prepaid expenses and other current assets804
Property, equipment and software226
Goodwill46,217
Intangible assets (1) :
 
Merchant relationships20,322
Trade names2,609
Developed technology549
Other intangible assets687
Total assets acquired$83,543
Accounts payable$693
Accrued merchant and supplier payables386
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities6,130
Other non-current liabilities2,076
Total liabilities assumed$9,285
Total acquisition price$74,258
(1)The estimated useful lives of the acquired intangible assets are 6 years for merchant relationships, 8 years for trade names, 2 years for developed technology, and 1 year for other intangible assets.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, $0.7 million of external transaction costs related to that business combination, primarily consisting of legal and advisory fees, are classified within Selling, general and administrative on our condensed consolidated statements of operations.
The revenue and net income of Cloud Savings included in our condensed consolidated statements of operations were $7.3 million and $0.1 million, respectively, for the period from April 30, 2018 through September 30, 2018. Pro forma results of operations for the Cloud Savings acquisition are not presented because the pro forma effects of that acquisition were not material to our condensed consolidated results of operations.
5. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
The following table summarizes goodwill activity by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands):
 North America International Consolidated
Balance as of December 31, 2018$178,685
 $146,806
 $325,491
Foreign currency translation
 (5,934) (5,934)
Balance as of September 30, 2019$178,685
 $140,872
 $319,557

The following table summarizes intangible assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Asset CategoryGross Carrying Value Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Value Gross Carrying Value Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Value
Customer relationships$16,200
 $15,750
 $450
 $16,200
 $11,700
 $4,500
Merchant relationships20,913
 7,047
 13,866
 21,554
 4,105
 17,449
Trade names9,394
 7,199
 2,195
 9,476
 6,799
 2,677
Developed technology14,882
 13,659
 1,223
 13,825
 13,485
 340
Patents22,383
 17,690
 4,693
 20,508
 16,451
 4,057
Other intangible assets26,072
 12,002
 14,070
 26,007
 9,629
 16,378
Total$109,844
 $73,347
 $36,497
 $107,570
 $62,169
 $45,401

 North America International Consolidated
Balance as of December 31, 2017$178,685
 $108,304
 $286,989
Goodwill related to acquisition
 46,217
 46,217
Foreign currency translation
 (5,776) (5,776)
Balance as of September 30, 2018$178,685
 $148,745
 $327,430




10

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




The following table summarizes intangible assets as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Asset CategoryGross Carrying Value Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Value Gross Carrying Value Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Value
Customer relationships$55,758
 $49,908
 $5,850
 $56,749
 $46,513
 $10,236
Merchant relationships30,650
 11,769
 18,881
 11,598
 9,853
 1,745
Trade names14,390
 11,298
 3,092
 12,077
 10,469
 1,608
Developed technology37,093
 36,680
 413
 36,864
 36,864
 
Patents36,184
 16,236
 19,948
 19,031
 15,204
 3,827
Other intangible assets11,294
 10,446
 848
 10,875
 9,095
 1,780
Total$185,369
 $136,337
 $49,032
 $147,194
 $127,998
 $19,196

Amortization of intangible assets is computed using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, which range from 1 to 10 years. Amortization expense related to intangible assets was $3.9$3.7 million and $6.0$3.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, and 2017, respectively,$11.4 million and $10.3 million and $17.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively.2018. As of September 30, 2018,2019, estimated future amortization expense related to intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):
Remaining amounts in 2019$2,843
20208,445
20217,336
20226,750
20235,613
Thereafter5,510
Total$36,497

Remaining amounts in 2018$4,448
201914,179
20208,279
20217,553
20227,237
Thereafter7,336
Total$49,032
Sale of Intangible Assets
On September 15, 2017, we sold customer lists and other intangible assets in certain food delivery markets to a subsidiary of Grubhub Inc. ("Grubhub"). We recognized a pretax gain on the sale of assets of $17.1 million, which represents the excess of the $19.8 million in net proceeds received, consisting of $20.0 million in cash less $0.2 million in transaction costs, over the $2.7 million net book value of the assets upon closing of the transaction.


11

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




6.3. INVESTMENTS
The following table summarizes investments as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (dollars in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 Percent Ownership of Voting Stock December 31, 2018 Percent Ownership of Voting Stock
Available-for-sale securities - redeemable preferred shares$10,138
 19%to25% $10,340
 19%to25%
Fair value option investments4,931
 10%to19% 73,902
 10%to19%
Other equity investments23,055
 1%to19% 24,273
 1%to19%
Total investments$38,124
     $108,515
    

 September 30, 2018 Percent Ownership of Voting Stock December 31, 2017 Percent Ownership of Voting Stock
Available-for-sale securities:       
Convertible debt securities$
   $11,354
  
Redeemable preferred shares10,207
 19%to25% 15,431
 19%to25%
Total available-for-sale securities10,207
   26,785
  
Fair value option investments74,654
 10%to19% 82,966
 10%to19%
Other equity investments (1)
24,445
 1%to19% 25,438
 1%to19%
Total investments$109,306
     $135,189
    
Available-for-Sale Securities - Redeemable Preferred Shares
(1)
Represents equity investments without readily determinable fair values. Those investments were previously accounted for using the cost method of accounting. Under the cost method, investments were carried at cost and adjusted only for other-than-temporary declines in fair value, certain distributions and additional investments. We adopted the guidance in ASU 2016-01 on January 1, 2018. Under that guidance, we have elected to record equity investments without readily determinable fair values at cost adjusted for observable price changes and impairments. There were no adjustments for observable price changes related to these investments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018. See further discussion under Impairments of Investments below.
The following table summarizes amortized cost, gross unrealized gain gross unrealized loss(loss), and fair value of available-for-sale securitiesredeemable preferred shares as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Amortized cost$9,961
 $9,961
Gross unrealized gain (loss)177
 379
Fair value$10,138
 $10,340

 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gain Gross Unrealized Loss Fair Value Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gain 
Gross Unrealized Loss (1)
 Fair Value
Available-for-sale securities:               
Convertible debt securities$
 $
 $
 $
 $10,205
 $1,653
 $(504) $11,354
Redeemable preferred shares9,961
 246
 
 10,207
 15,431
 
 
 15,431
Total available-for-sale securities$9,961
 $246
 $
 $10,207
 $25,636
 $1,653
 $(504) $26,785
We recorded an other-than-temporary impairment of an available-for-sale security of $5.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. That impairment is classified within Other income (expense), net on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. There were no impairments of available-for-sale securities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019.
(1)Gross unrealized loss is related to one security that was in a loss position for greater than 12 months as of December 31, 2017.
Fair Value Option Investments    
In connection with the dispositions of controlling stakes in Ticket Monster,TMON Inc. ("TMON"), an entity based in the Republic of Korea, in May 2015 and Groupon India in August 2015, we obtained minority investments in Monster Holdings LP ("Monster LP") and in Nearbuy Pte Ltd. ("Nearbuy"), respectively. We have made an irrevocable election to account for both of those investments at fair value with changes in fair value reported in earnings. We elected to apply fair value accounting to those investments because we believe that fair value is the most relevant measurement attribute for those investments, as well asand to reduce operational and accounting complexity. Our election to apply fair value accounting to those investments has and may continue to cause fluctuations in our earnings from period to period.


11

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

We determined that the fair value of our investments in Monster LP and Nearbuy were $70.2was $0.0 million and $4.9 million as of September 30, 2019 and $69.4 million and $4.5 million respectively, as of September 30, 2018 and $78.9 million and $4.0 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2017.


12

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




2018. The following table summarizes gains and losses due to changes in fair value of those investments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Monster LP$
 $(474) $(69,408) $(8,759)
Nearbuy14
 230
 437
 447
Total$14
 $(244) $(68,971) $(8,312)

During the first quarter 2019, we recognized a $41.5 million loss from changes in the fair value of our investment in Monster LP due to the revised cash flow projections provided by TMON in March 2019 and 2017an increase in the discount rate applied to those forecasts, which increased to 26.0% as of March 31, 2019, as compared with 21.0% as of December 31, 2018. The increase in the discount rate applied as of March 31, 2019 was due to the deterioration in the financial condition of TMON and the competitive environment in the Korean e-commerce industry, which resulted in an increase to financial projection risk. During the second quarter 2019, we recognized an additional loss of $27.9 million from changes in the fair value of our investment in Monster LP due to revised financial projections provided by TMON in June 2019. The revisions to the financial projections were made as a result of TMON’s continued underperformance as compared with prior projections along with adjustments to their business model.
The following table summarizes the condensed financial information for Monster LP for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Monster LP$(474) $(3,768) $(8,759) $(1,492)
Nearbuy230
 (187) 447
 (3,608)
Total$(244) $(3,955) $(8,312) $(5,100)
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Revenue$131,188
 $93,625
 $383,204
 $265,009
Gross profit9,854
 6,344
 27,261
 20,155
Loss before income taxes(28,980) (32,162) (89,304) (101,029)
Net loss(28,980) (32,162) (89,304) (101,029)
Impairments ofOther Equity Investments
Other equity investments represents equity investments without readily determinable fair values. We have elected to record equity investments without readily determinable fair values at cost adjusted for observable price changes and impairments. We recorded $10.2$4.7 million of other-than-temporary impairments of available-for-sale securities and other equity method investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Those impairments are classified within Other income (expense), net on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. There were no other adjustments for observable price changes related to these investments since our adoption of ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments (Topic 825-10) - Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, on January 1, 2018.
Sales of Investments
In September 2018, we sold an available-for-sale security for total consideration of $8.6 million, which approximated its carrying amount and amortized cost as of the closing date.

In July 2017, we sold an other equity method investment for total consideration of $16.0 million, consisting of $14.7 million received in cash and $1.3 million that the acquirer paid into an escrow account that will be settled within 18 months of closing. We recognized a pretax gain on the disposition of $7.6 million, which is classified within "Other income (expense), net" on the condensed consolidated statement of operations.12

7.
GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

4. SUPPLEMENTAL CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AND STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS INFORMATION
The following table summarizes other income (expense), net for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Interest income$1,959
 $1,513
 $5,810
 $4,858
Interest expense(6,029) (5,713) (17,162) (16,434)
Changes in fair value of investments14
 (244) (68,971) (8,312)
Foreign currency gains (losses), net(12,785) (1,033) (11,855) (12,168)
Impairments of investments
 (112) 
 (10,156)
Other(412) 729
 (424) 2,380
Other income (expense), net$(17,253) $(4,860) $(92,602) $(39,832)
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Interest income$1,513
 $894
 $4,858
 $2,155
Interest expense(5,713) (5,156) (16,434) (15,423)
Gains (losses), net on changes in fair value of investments(244) (3,955) (8,312) (5,100)
Gain on sale of investment
 7,624
 
 7,624
Foreign currency gains (losses), net(1,033) 8,186
 (12,168) 19,063
Impairments of investments(112) 
 (10,156) 
Other729
 (47) 2,380
 503
Other income (expense), net$(4,860) $7,546
 $(39,832) $8,822

The following table summarizes prepaid expenses and other current assets as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Merchandise inventories$27,422
 $33,739
Prepaid expenses31,865
 28,209
Income taxes receivable6,875
 6,717
Other15,505
 19,450
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets$81,667
 $88,115
 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Merchandise inventories$31,737
 $25,528
Prepaid expenses37,847
 40,399
Income taxes receivable9,161
 10,299
Other19,424
 17,799
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets$98,169
 $94,025


13

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





The following table summarizes accrued merchant and supplier payables as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Accrued merchant payables$324,161
 $459,662
$308,269
 $371,279
Accrued supplier payables (1)
160,465
 310,673
119,908
 280,502
Total accrued merchant and supplier payables$484,626
 $770,335
$428,177
 $651,781
(1)Amounts include payables to suppliers of inventories and providers of shipping and fulfillment services.


13

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

The following table summarizes accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Refunds reserve$18,083
 $27,957
Compensation and benefits62,664
 56,173
Accrued marketing22,450
 39,094
Customer credits16,362
 15,118
Income taxes payable4,337
 8,987
Deferred revenue15,993
 25,452
Current portion of lease obligations (1)
40,399
 17,207
Other58,816
 77,046
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities$239,104
 $267,034

 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Refunds reserve$23,800
 $31,275
Compensation and benefits56,016
 73,096
Accrued marketing34,948
 32,912
Customer credits17,420
 28,487
Income taxes payable11,587
 9,645
Deferred revenue20,709
 29,539
Current portion of capital lease obligations21,043
 25,958
Other84,203
 100,284
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities$269,726
 $331,196
(1)
Current portion of lease obligations as of September 30, 2019 includes $25.0 million of additional lease obligations that were recognized on January 1, 2019 as a result of the adoption of Topic 842. Refer to Note 6, Leases, for additional information.
The following table summarizes other non-current liabilities as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Contingent income tax liabilities$32,440
 $39,858
Deferred rent (1)

 32,186
Deferred income taxes4,403
 6,619
Other14,118
 22,025
Total other non-current liabilities$50,961
 $100,688

 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Contingent income tax liabilities$46,073
 $43,699
Deferred rent31,860
 29,032
Capital lease obligations12,224
 18,500
Deferred income taxes2,776
 811
Other9,610
 10,366
Total other non-current liabilities$102,543
 $102,408
The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands):
 Foreign currency translation adjustments Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities Total
Balance as of December 31, 2017$30,962
 $882
 $31,844
Reclassification for impact of U.S. tax rate change
 161
 161
Other comprehensive income (loss)1,166
 (842) 324
Balance as of September 30, 2018$32,128
 $201
 $32,329


14

(1)
Non-current operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2019 are included within Operating lease obligations on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as a result of the adoption of Topic 842 on January 1, 2019. Refer to Note 6, Leases, for additional information.
GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




8.5. FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS
Convertible Senior Notes
On April 4, 2016, we issued $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes (the "Notes") in a private placement to A-G Holdings, L.P. ("AGH"). Michael Angelakis, the chairman and chief executive officer of Atairos Group, Inc. ("Atairos"), joined our Board of Directors (the "Board") in connection with the issuance of the Notes. Atairos controls the voting power of AGH. The net proceeds from this offering were $243.2 million after deducting issuance costs. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 3.25% per annum, payable annually in arrears on April 1 of each year, beginning on April 1, 2017. The Notes will mature on April 1, 2022, subject to earlier conversion or redemption.
Each $1,000 of principal amount of the Notes initially is convertible into 185.1852 shares of common stock, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of $5.40 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. Upon conversion, we can elect to settle the conversion value in cash, shares of our common stock, or any combination of cash and shares of our common stock. Holders of the Notes may convert their Notes at their option at any time until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date. In addition, if specified corporate events occur prior to the maturity date, we may be required to increase the conversion rate for holders who elect to convert based on the effective date of such event and the applicable stock price attributable to the event, as set forth in a table contained in the indenture governing the Notes (the "Indenture"). Based on the closing price of the common stock of $3.77$2.66 as of September 30, 2018,2019, the if-converted value of the Notes was less than the principal amount.
With certain exceptions, upon a fundamental change (as defined in the Indenture), the holders of the Notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of their Notes for cash at a purchase price equal to the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, we may redeem the Notes, at our option, at a purchase price equal to the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest on or after April 1, 2020, if the closing sale price of the common stock exceeds 150% of the then-current conversion price for 20 or more trading days in the 30 consecutive trading daytrading-day period preceding the exercise of this redemption right.
The Notes are senior unsecured obligations that rank equal in right of payment to all senior unsecured indebtedness and rank senior in right of payment to any indebtedness that is contractually subordinated to the Notes.
The Indenture includes customary events of default. If an event of default, as defined in the Indenture, occurs and is continuing, the principal amount of the Notes and any accrued and unpaid interest may be declared immediately due and payable. In the case of bankruptcy or insolvency, the principal amount of the Notes and any accrued and unpaid interest would automatically become immediately due and payable.
We have separated the Notes into their liability and equity components in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The carrying amount of the liability component was calculated by measuring the fair value of a similar liability that does not have an associated conversion feature. The carrying amount of the equity component, representing the conversion option, was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the principal amount of the Notes. The difference between the principal amount of the Notes and the liability component (the "debt discount") is amortized to interest expense at an effective interest rate of 9.75% over the term of the Notes. The equity component of the Notes is included in additional paid-in capital in the condensed consolidated balance sheets and is not remeasured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification.
We incurred transaction costs of approximately $6.8 million related to the issuance of the Notes. Those transaction costs were allocated to the liability and equity components in the same manner as the allocation of the proceeds from the Notes. Transaction costs attributable to the liability component of $4.8 million were recorded as a debt discount in the condensed consolidated balance sheet and are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the Notes. Transaction costs attributable to the equity component of $2.0 million were recorded in stockholders' equity as a reduction of the equity component.
The carrying amount of the Notes consisted of the following as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Liability component:   
Principal amount$250,000
 $250,000
Less: debt discount(38,559) (48,331)
Net carrying amount of liability component$211,441
 $201,669
    
Net carrying amount of equity component$67,014
 $67,014
 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Liability component:   
Principal amount$250,000
 $250,000
Less: debt discount(51,425) (60,247)
Net carrying amount of liability component$198,575
 $189,753
    
Net carrying amount of equity component$67,014
 $67,014

The estimated fair value of the Notes as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 was $262.8$259.0 million and $285.6$257.1 million, respectively, and was determined using a lattice model. We classified the fair value of the Notes as a Level 3 measurement due to the lack of observable market data over fair value inputs such as our stock price volatility over the term of the Notes and our cost of debt.
As of September 30, 2018,2019, the remaining term of the Notes is approximately 32 years and 6 months. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017,2018, we recognized interest costs on the Notes as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Contractual interest (3.25% of the principal amount per annum)$2,032
 $2,032
 $6,096
 $6,096
Amortization of debt discount3,341
 3,016
 9,772
 8,822
Total$5,373
 $5,048
 $15,868
 $14,918
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Contractual interest (3.25% of the principal amount per annum)$2,032
 $2,032
 $6,096
 $6,096
Amortization of debt discount3,016
 2,722
 8,822
 7,964
Total$5,048
 $4,754
 $14,918
 $14,060

Note Hedges and Warrants
In May 2016, we purchased convertible note hedges with respect to our common stock for a cost of $59.1 million from certain bank counterparties. The convertible note hedges provide us with the right to purchase up to 46.3 million shares of our common stock at an initial strike price of $5.40 per share, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the Notes, and are exercisable upon conversion of the Notes. The convertible note hedges are intended to reduce the potential economic dilution upon conversion of the Notes. The convertible note hedges are separate transactions and are not part of the terms of the Notes. Holders of the Notes do not have any rights with respect to the convertible note hedges.
In May 2016, we also sold warrants for total cash proceeds of $35.5 million to certain bank counterparties. The warrants provide the counterparties with the right to purchase up to 46.3 million shares of our common stock at a strike price of $8.50 per share. The warrants expire on various dates between July 1, 2022 and August 26, 2022 and are exercisable on their expiration dates. The warrants are separate transactions and are not part of the terms of the Notes or convertible note hedges. Holders of the Notes and convertible note hedges do not have any rights with respect to the warrants.
The amounts paid and received for the convertible note hedges and warrants were recorded in additional paid-in capital in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 2017.2018. The convertible note hedges and warrants are not remeasured as long as they continue to meet the conditions for equity classification. The amounts paid for the convertible note hedges are tax deductible over the term of the Notes, while the proceeds received from the warrants are not taxable. 
Under the if-converted method, the shares of common stock underlying the conversion option in the Notes are included in the diluted earnings per share denominator and the interest expense on the Notes, net of tax, is added to the numerator. However, upon conversion, there will be no economic dilution from the Notes, as exercise of the convertible note hedges eliminates any dilution from the Notes that would have otherwise occurred when the price of our common stock exceeds the conversion price. Taken together, the purchase of the convertible note hedges and sale of warrants are intended to offset any actual dilution from the conversion of the Notes and to effectively increase the overall conversion price from $5.40 to $8.50 per share.
Revolving Credit Agreement
TheIn May 2019, we entered into a second amended and restated senior secured revolving credit agreement (the "Amended and Restated"2019 Credit Agreement") which provides for aggregate principal borrowings of up to $250.0$400.0 million and matures in June 2019. May 2024. The 2019 Credit Agreement replaced our previous $250.0 million amended and restated credit agreement (the "2016 Credit Agreement"). We deferred debt issuance costs of $2.4 million related to the 2019 Credit Agreement. Those deferred costs are included within Other non-current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2019 and will be amortized to interest expense over the term of the agreement.
Borrowings under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement bear interest, at our option, at a rate per annum equal to the Alternate Base Rate(a) an adjusted LIBO rate or Adjusted LIBO Rate (each as defined(b) a customary base rate (with loans denominated in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement)certain currencies bearing interest at rates specific to such currencies) plus an additional margin ranging between 0.50% and 2.25%2.00%. We are required to pay quarterly commitment fees ranging from 0.25% to 0.40%0.35% per annum of the average daily amount of unused commitments available under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement. The Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement also provides for the issuance of up to $45.0$75.0 million in letters of credit, provided that the sum of outstanding borrowings and letters of credit do not exceed the maximum funding commitment of $250.0$400.0 million.
The Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of our tangible and intangible assets, including a pledge of 100% of the outstanding capital stock of substantially all of our direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the shares or equity interests of first-tier foreign subsidiaries and each U.S. entity whose assets substantially consist of capital stock and/or intercompany debt of one or more foreign subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions. Certain of our domestic subsidiaries are guarantors under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement.
The Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement contains various customary restrictive covenants that limit our ability to, among other things: incur additional indebtedness; make dividend and other restricted payments, including share repurchases; enter into sale and leaseback transactions; make investments, loans or advances; grant or incur liens on assets; sell assets; engage in mergers, consolidations, liquidations or dissolutions; and engage in transactions with affiliates. The Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement requires us to maintain compliance with specified financial covenants, comprised of a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, a maximum leverage ratio, a maximum senior secured indebtednessleverage ratio and a minimum liquidity ratio, each as set forth in the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement. We are also required to maintain, as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, unrestricted cash of at least $400.0$250.0 million, including $200.0$125.0 million in accounts held with lenders under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement or their affiliates. Non-compliance with these covenants may result in termination of the commitments under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement and any then outstanding borrowings may be declared due and payable immediately. We have the right to terminate the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement or reduce the available commitments at any time.
As of September 30, 20182019, we had no borrowings outstanding under the 2019 Credit Agreement and as of December 31, 2017,2018, we havehad no borrowings and haveoutstanding under the 2016 Credit Agreement. As of September 30, 2019, we had outstanding letters of credit of $18.3$18.0 million and $22.7 million, respectively, under the Amended2019 Credit Agreement and Restatedas of December 31, 2018, we had outstanding letters of credit of $19.2 million under the 2016 Credit Agreement.
9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES6. LEASES
ExceptAdoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases
On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASC Topic 842 using the modified retrospective transition method. Topic 842 requires the recognition of lease assets and liabilities for operating leases, in addition to the changes set forth below,finance lease assets and liabilities previously recorded on our commitmentscondensed consolidated balance sheets. Beginning on January 1, 2019, our condensed consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with the revised policies, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historical policies. The modified retrospective transition method required the cumulative effect, if any, of initially applying the guidance to be recognized as an adjustment to our accumulated deficit as of our adoption date. As a result of adopting Topic 842, we recognized additional lease assets and liabilities of $109.6 million as of January 1, 2019. The discount rate used to calculate that adjustment was the rate implicit in the lease, unless that rate was not readily determinable. For leases for which the rate was not readily determinable, the discount rate used was our incremental borrowing rate as of the adoption date, January 1, 2019. There was 0 cumulative effect adjustment to our accumulated deficit as a result of initially applying the guidance.
We elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within Topic 842, which allowed us to carry forward prior conclusions about lease identification, classification and initial direct costs for leases entered into prior to adoption of Topic 842. Additionally, we elected to not separate lease and non-lease components for all of our leases. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, we elected the short-term lease exemption, which allowed us to not recognize right-of-use assets or lease liabilities for qualifying leases existing at transition and new leases we may enter into in the future.


14

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

General Description of Leases
We have entered into various non-cancelable operating lease agreements for our offices and data centers and non-cancelable finance lease agreements for property and equipment. We classify leases at their commencement as either operating or finance leases and may receive renewal or expansion options, rent holidays and leasehold improvement or other incentives on certain lease agreements.
Our operating leases primarily consist of leases for real estate throughout the world with lease expirations between 2019 and 2026. These arrangements typically do not transfer ownership of the underlying asset as we do not assume, nor do we intend to assume, the risks and rewards of ownership. Our finance leases are related to purchases of property and equipment, primarily computer hardware, with expirations between 2019 and 2023.
We recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for all of our leases at the commencement of the lease. Lease liabilities are measured based on the present value of the minimum lease payments discounted by a rate determined as of the date of commencement. Right-of-use assets are measured based on the lease liability adjusted for any initial direct costs, prepaid rent, or lease incentives. Minimum lease payments made under operating and finance leases are apportioned between interest expense and a reduction of the related operating and finance lease obligations. The interest expense on operating leases is presented within Selling, general and administrative expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and the related operating lease obligation is presented within Accrued expenses and other current liabilities and Operating lease obligations on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The interest expense on finance leases is presented within Other income (expense), net on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and the related finance lease obligation is presented within Accrued expenses and other current liabilities and Other non-current liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
We have also subleased certain office facilities under operating lease agreements, with expirations between 2023 and 2026. We recognize sublease rentals on a straight-line basis over their respective lease terms.
The following summarizes right-of-use assets as of September 30, 2018 did not materially change from the amounts set forth in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.2019 (in thousands):
Leases
 September 30, 2019
Right-of-use assets - operating leases$130,757
Right-of-use assets - finance leases (1)
31,255
Total right-of-use assets, gross162,012
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization(29,964)
Right-of-use assets, net$132,048

(1)Right-of-use assets for finance leases are included in Property, equipment and software, net on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.
Related Party Sublease Agreement
In the second quarter 2018,On December 28, 2016, we entered into a new office leasesublease for oneportions of our foreign locations.office space at 600 West Chicago to Uptake, Inc. ("Uptake"), a Lightbank LLC ("Lightbank") portfolio company. Eric Lefkofsky, our co-founder and Chairman of the Board, is a co-founder and owns a significant equity interest in Lightbank. The sublease was a market rate transaction on terms that we believe are no less favorable than would have been reached with an unrelated third party. The sublease extends through January 31, 2026 and the sublease rentals over the entire term total approximately $18.2 million. Pursuant to our related party transaction policy, our Audit Committee approved the sublease. We recognized income from the sublease of $0.5 million for both the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, and $1.7 millionand $1.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.
Significant Assumptions and Judgments
Significant judgment is required when determining whether a contract is or contains a lease. We review contracts to determine whether the language conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration.


15

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

As discussed above, the present value of minimum lease payments is used in determining the value of our operating and finance leases. The discount rate used to calculate the present value for lease payments is the rate implicit in the lease, unless that rate cannot be readily determined. For leases in which the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable, the discount rate is our incremental borrowing rate, which is determined based on information available at lease commencement and is equal to the rate of interest that we would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term in an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. The discount rate used for our lease obligations as of September 30, 2019 and January 1, 2019 ranged from 1.5% to 6.9%. As of September 30, 2018,2019, the weighted-average remaining lease term for our finance leases and operating leases was 2 years and 5 years. As of September 30, 2019, the weighted-average discount rate for our finance leases and operating leases was 5.1% and 5.6%.
The following table summarizes our lease cost and sublease income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Financing lease cost:   
Amortization of right-of-use assets$3,492
 $16,247
Interest on lease liabilities243
 816
Total finance lease cost3,735
 17,063
Operating lease cost8,573
 25,784
Variable lease cost2,410
 6,319
Short-term lease cost52
 262
Sublease income, gross(1,248) (3,872)
Total lease cost$13,522
 $45,556

As of September 30, 2019, the future payments under thatfinance leases and operating leaseleases for each of the next five years and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):
 Finance Leases Operating Leases
Remaining in 2019$2,056
 $10,003
20209,611
 36,609
20215,261
 34,416
2022715
 33,579
202312
 25,130
Thereafter
 33,103
Total minimum lease payments17,655
 172,840
Less: Amount representing interest(863) (22,972)
Present value of net minimum lease payments16,792
 149,868
Less: Current portion of lease obligations(8,939) (31,460)
Total long-term lease obligations$7,853
 $118,408



16

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)
Remaining amounts in 2018$639
20192,556
20202,556
20212,556
20222,556
Thereafter5,751
Total minimum lease payments$16,614

Other Contractual Commitments
In the first quarter 2018, we entered into a non-cancelable arrangement for cloud computing services. As of September 30, 2018,2019, the future paymentsamounts due under that contractual obligationsubleases for each of the next five years and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):
 Subleases
Remaining in 2019$1,246
20205,027
20215,065
20225,103
20234,385
Thereafter4,891
Total future sublease income$25,717

Remaining amounts in 2018$
20193,400
20203,400
20213,400
20223,400
Total$13,600
The following table summarizes supplemental cash flow information on our leasing obligations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities: 
Operating cash flows from finance leases$(816)
Operating cash flows from operating leases(25,121)
Financing cash flows from finance leases(16,868)
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities: 
Finance leases3,865
Operating leases23,123

7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Our contractual obligations and commitments as of September 30, 2019 did not materially change from the amounts set forth in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as disclosed in Note 6, Leases.
Legal Matters and Other Contingencies
From time to time, we are party to various legal proceedings incident to the operation of our business. For example, we currently are involved in proceedings brought by former employees and merchants, intellectual property infringement suits, customer lawsuits, consumer class actions and suits alleging, among other things, violations of state consumer protection or privacy laws. The following is a brief description of significant legal proceedings.
On March 2, 2016, International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM") filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware against us (the "Delaware Action"). In the Delaware Action, IBM alleged that we infringed certain IBM patents that IBM claimed relate to the presentation of applications and advertising in an interactive service, preserving state information in online transactions and single sign-on processes in a computing environment and sought damages (including a request that the amount of compensatory damages be trebled), injunctive relief and costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees. Trial commenced in the Delaware Action on July 16, 2018. On July 27, 2018, a jury in this matter returned a verdict finding we willfully infringed each of these patents and awarded damages of $82.5 million to IBM.
On May 9, 2016, we filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against IBM (the "Illinois Action"). We alleged that IBM infringed one of our patents relating to location-based services.
On September 28, 2018, we entered into settlement and license agreements with IBM fully resolving the Delaware Action, the Illinois Action and related proceedings with IBM. The settlement terms provide for the payment of $57.5 million to IBM, a cross-license to the parties’ respective patent portfolios, mutual releases of claims and the dismissal with prejudice of the Delaware Action and the Illinois Action. On October 2, 2018, the court in the Delaware Action entered an order dismissing the Delaware Action with prejudice. On October 1, 2018, the court in the Illinois Action entered an order dismissing the Illinois Action with prejudice.
We previously recorded a $75.0 million charge in the second quarter 2018 to increase our contingent liability for this matter to the $82.5 million jury award. That charge was classified within Selling, general and administrative expense in our condensed consolidated statement of operations. During the third quarter 2018, we reduced Selling, general and administrative expense by $40.4 million as a result of the IBM settlement, reflecting the $25.0 million decrease from the jury award and $15.4 million that was capitalized for the license to use the patented technology in future periods under the terms of the settlement and license agreements. We allocated the settlement amount between the litigation settlement component and the license for future use of the patented technology based on their relative fair values.
In addition, other third parties have from time to time claimed, and others may claim in the future, that we have infringed their intellectual property rights. We are subject to intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement claims, and expect that we will increasinglycontinue to be subject to intellectual property infringement claims as our services expand in scope and complexity. We have inIn the past, we have litigated such claims, and we are presently involved in several patent infringement and other intellectual property-related claims, including pending litigation or trademark disputes relating to, for example, our Goods category, some of which could involve potentially substantial claims for damages or injunctive relief. We may also become more vulnerable to third-party claims as laws such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act are interpreted by the courts, and we become subject to laws in jurisdictions where the underlying laws with respect to the potential liability of online intermediaries are either unclear or less favorable. We believe that additional lawsuits alleging that we have violated patent, copyright or trademark laws will be filed against us. Intellectual property claims, whether meritorious or not, are time consuming and often costly to resolve, could require expensive changes in our methods of doing business or the goods we sell, or could require us to enter into costly royalty or licensing agreements.
We also are subject to consumer claims or lawsuits relating to alleged violations of consumer protection or privacy rights and statutes, some of which could involve potentially substantial claims for damages, including statutory or punitive damages. Consumer and privacy related claims or lawsuits, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming, result in costly litigation, damage awards, fines and penalties, injunctive relief or increased costs of doing business through adverse judgment or settlement, or require us to change our business practices, sometimes in expensive ways.
We are also subject to, or in the future may become subject to, a variety of regulatory inquiries, audits, and investigations across the jurisdictions where we conduct our business, including, for example, inquiries related to consumer protection, employment matters and/or hiring practices, marketing practices, tax, unclaimed property and privacy rules and regulations. Any regulatory actions against us, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming, result in costly litigation, damage awards, fines and penalties, injunctive relief or increased costs of doing business through adverse judgment or settlement, require us to change our business practices in expensive ways, require significant amounts of management time, result in the diversion of significant operational resources or otherwise harm our business.
We establish an accrued liability for loss contingencies related to legal and regulatory matters when the loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. Those accruals represent management's best estimate of probable losses and, in such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of the amounts accrued. For certain of the matters described above, there are inherent and significant uncertainties based on, among other factors, the stage of the proceedings, developments in the applicable facts of law, or the lack of a specific damage claim. However, we believe that the amount of reasonably possible losses in excess of the amounts accrued for those matters would not have a material adverse effect on our business, condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Our accrued liabilities for loss contingencies related to legal and regulatory matters may change in the future as a result of new developments, including, but not limited to, the occurrence of new legal matters, changes in the law or regulatory environment, adverse or favorable rulings, newly discovered facts relevant to the matter, or changes in the strategy for the matter. Regardless of the outcome, litigation and other regulatory matters can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
Indemnifications
In connection with the dispositionsdisposition of our operations in Latin America (see Note 3, Discontinued Operations and Other Business Dispositions),in the first quarter of 2017, we agreed to indemnify the buyerrecorded $5.4 million in indemnification liabilities for certain tax and other matters. The indemnification liabilities were initially recorded at their fair value, estimated to be $5.4 million using a probability-weighted expected cash flow approach,matters upon the closing of the transactions as an adjustment to the net loss on the dispositions within discontinued operations.operations at their fair value. We estimated the indemnification liabilities using a probability-weighted expected cash flow approach. During the first quarter of 2019, we decreased our indemnification liabilities due to the expiration of certain indemnification obligations. The resulting benefit of $2.2 million is recorded within Income (loss) from discontinued operations on the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Our remaining indemnification liabilities were $3.2 million as of September 30, 2019. We estimate that the total amount of obligations that are reasonably possible to arise under the indemnifications in excess of amounts accrued as of September 30, 20182019 is approximately $18.0$13.3 million.
In the normal course of business to facilitate transactions related to our operations, we indemnify certain parties, including employees, lessors, service providers, merchants, and counterparties to investment agreements and asset and stock purchase agreements with respect to various matters. We have agreed to hold certain parties harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or other claims made against those parties. These agreements may limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the claim. We are also subject to increased exposure to various claims as a result of our divestitures and acquisitions, particularly in cases where we are entering into new businesses in connection with such acquisitions. We may also become more vulnerable to claims as we expand the range and scope of our services and are subject to laws in jurisdictions where the underlying laws with respect to potential liability are either unclear or less favorable. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our officers, directors and underwriters, and our bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations that cover officers, directors, employees and other agents. 
Except as noted above, it is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Historically, any payments that we have made under these agreements have not had a material impact on the operating results, financial position or cash flows.


17

10.
GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

8. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS
Our Board of Directors (the "Board") has the authority, without approval by the stockholders, to issue up to a total of 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. The Board may establish the number of shares to be included in each such series and may fix the designations, preferences, powers and other rights of the shares of a series of preferred stock. The Board could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could dilute the voting power or rights of the holders of our common stock. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there were no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
Common Stock
Pursuant to our restated certificate of incorporation, the Board has the authority to issue up to a total of 2,010,000,000 shares of common stock. Each holder of common stock shall beis entitled to one vote for each suchper share on any matter that is submitted to a vote of stockholders. In addition, holders of theour common stock will vote as a single class of stock on any matter that is submitted to a vote of stockholders.
Share Repurchase Program
In May 2018, the Board authorized us to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our common stock under a newour share repurchase program. The prior share repurchase program expired in April 2018. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018,2019, we did notrepurchased 5,391,084 and 14,027,227 shares for an aggregate purchase any sharesprice of $15.1 million and $45.2 million (including fees and commissions) under those shareour repurchase programs.program. As of September 30, 2019, up to $245.0 million of common stock remained available for purchase under our program. The timing and amount of share repurchases, if any, will be determined based on market conditions, limitations under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement, share price and other factors, and the share repurchase program may be terminated at any time.
Groupon, Inc. Stock Plans
In January 2008, we adopted the 2008 Stock Option Plan, as amended (the "2008 Plan"), under which options for up to 64,618,500 shares of common stock were authorized to be issued to employees, consultants and directors. The 2008 Plan was frozen in December 2010. In April 2010, we established the Groupon, Inc. 2010 Stock Plan, as amended in April 2011 (the "2010 Plan"), under which options and restricted stock units ("RSUs") for up to 20,000,000 shares of common stock were authorized for future issuance to employees, consultants and directors. No new awards may be granted under the 2010 Plan following our initial public offering in November 2011. In August 2011, we established the Groupon, Inc. 2011 Incentive Plan, as amended (the "2011 Plan"), under which options, RSUs and performance stock units for up to 187,500,000 shares of common stock were authorized for future issuance to employees, consultants and directors.
The Groupon, Inc. Stock Plans (the "Plans") are administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the "Compensation Committee"). As of September 30, 2018, 54,556,1902019, 71,768,289 shares of common stock were available for future issuance under the Plans.


15

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




The stock-based compensation expense related to stock awards issued under the Plans and acquisition-related awards are presented within the following line items of the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Cost of revenue$419
 $582
 $1,103
 $2,039
$405
 $419
 $1,163
 $1,103
Marketing1,854
 1,797
 5,411
 5,829
1,671
 1,854
 4,586
 5,411
Selling, general and administrative12,753
 15,856
 44,056
 51,409
17,467
 12,753
 56,768
 44,056
Restructuring charges
 849
 
 849
Other income (expense)
 93
 100
 192
Other income (expense), net
 
 
 100
Total stock-based compensation expense$15,026
 $19,177
 $50,670
 $60,318
$19,543
 $15,026
 $62,517
 $50,670
We also capitalized $2.0 million and $1.4$2.0 million of stock-based compensation for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, and 2017, respectively,$5.5 million and $5.7 million and $4.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively,2018 in connection with internally-developed software. As of September 30, 2018, $112.2 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested employee stock awards are expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of 1.36 years.software and cloud computing arrangements.


18

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

Employee Stock Purchase Plan
We are authorizedThe Groupon, Inc. 2012 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended ("ESPP"), authorizes us to grant up to 10,000,00020,000,000 shares of common stock under our employee stock purchase plan ("ESPP").that plan. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, 1,486,006 and 2017, 1,621,061 and 1,879,656 shares of common stock respectively, were issued under the ESPP.
Restricted Stock Units
The restricted stock units granted under the Plans generally have vesting periods between one and four years. Restricted stock unitsyears and are amortized on a straight-line basis over thetheir requisite service period. Additionally, we are required to issue restricted stock units to settle amounts that exceed targeted bonus amounts under our primary bonus plans. We account for those obligations, if any, as liability-classified awards with performance conditions.
The table below summarizes activity regarding unvested restricted stock units grantedunit activity under the Plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2018:2019:
 Restricted Stock Units Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per unit)
Unvested at December 31, 201826,623,432
 $4.47
Granted25,446,060
 3.52
Vested(9,773,156) 4.37
Forfeited(9,511,750) 4.17
Unvested at September 30, 201932,784,586
 3.84

 Restricted Stock Units Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per unit)
Unvested at December 31, 201728,939,110
 $4.32
Granted16,036,764
 4.75
Vested(10,728,624) 4.40
Forfeited(5,222,435) 4.30
Unvested at September 30, 201829,024,815
 4.54
As of September 30, 2019, $96.6 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested restricted stock units are expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of 1.62 years.
Performance Share Units
TheWe grant performance share units granted under the Plans that vest in shares of our common stock upon the achievement of financial and operational targets specified in the respective award.award agreement ("Performance Share Units"). During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, we also granted performance share units that will vest if our average daily closing stock price is equal to or greater than $6.00 per share over a period of 30 consecutive trading days prior to December 31, 2022 or if a change in control occurs during the performance period at the specified stock price (and on a proportional basis for a change in control price between the grant date price and the specified stock price) ("Market-based Performance Share Units"). We determined these awards are subject to a market condition, and therefore we used a Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the grant date fair value of the awards and the related derived service period over which we will recognize the expense. The key inputs used in the Monte Carlo simulation were the risk-free rate, our volatility of 49.8% and our cost of equity of 12.8%.
All of our performance share awards are subject to both continued employment through the performance period dictated by the award and certification by the Compensation Committee that the specified financial and operational targetsperformance conditions have been achieved.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we granted performance share units for which the maximum number of common shares issuable upon vesting was 7,972,780 shares and the weighted-average grant date fair value was $4.88 per unit. The maximum number of common shares issuable upon vesting as of September 30, 2018 was 6,905,418 shares and the total grant date fair value of the shares for which the performance conditions are expected to be met was $9.7 million. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, 278,635 shares of our common stock




1619

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





were issued related to performance share units granted inThe table below summarizes Performance Share Unit activity under the previous year following the Compensation Committee's certification of the financial and operational metricsPlans for the year ended December 31, 2017. The weighted-average grant date fair value of those units was $3.78 per share.
Performance Bonus Awards
If bonus amounts earned under our primary employee bonus plans exceed targeted bonus amounts because specified financial metrics exceed the performance conditions set forth in those plans, such excess is required to be settled in our common stock. Our obligation to issue shares for employee bonus amounts exceeding the specified bonus targets is accounted for separately as a liability-classified stock-based compensation arrangement with performance conditions.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, 1,240,379 shares2019:
 Performance Share Units Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per unit) Market-based Performance Share Units Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per unit)
Unvested at December 31, 20183,431,918
 $4.90
 
 $
Granted4,640,467
 3.89
 8,486,708
 3.03
Vested(777,573) 4.88
 
 
Forfeited(3,124,591) 4.64
 (1,666,667) 3.03
Unvested at September 30, 20194,170,221
 3.98
 6,820,041
 3.03
        
Maximum shares issuable upon vesting at September 30, 20197,980,870
   6,820,041
  

As of our common stock were issuedSeptember 30, 2019, $8.9 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested performance bonus awards granted in the previous year following the Compensation Committee's certificationshare units are expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of our financial1.94 years and operational metrics for the year ended December 31, 2017. The fair value$8.1 million of our common stock on the dateunrecognized compensation costs related to unvested market-based performance share units are expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of the Compensation Committee's certification was $5.20 per share.0.41 years.
Stock Options
The exercise price of stock options granted is equal to the fair value of the underlying stock on the date of grant. The contractual term for stock options expires ten years from the grant date. Stock options generally vestedvest over a three- or four-year period, with 25% of the awards vesting after one year and the remainder of the awards vesting on a monthly or quarterly basis thereafter. We did not grant any stock options during the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
The table below summarizes stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018:2019:
 Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) 
Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) (1)
Outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2017885,580
 $0.62
 1.76 $3,967
Exercised(670,393) 0.11
    
Outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2018215,187
 1.80
 1.63 $424
 Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) 
Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) (1)
Outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2018212,787
 $1.80
 1.37 $298
Exercised(42,500) 0.96
    
Forfeited(2,050) 1.68
    
Outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2019168,237
 $1.95
 0.67 $119
(1)The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable represents the total pretax intrinsic value (the difference between the fair value of our stock on the last day of each period and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of options where the fair value exceeds the exercise price) that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 2017, respectively.2018.
11.9. REVENUE RECOGNITION
Product and service revenue are generated from sales transactions through our online marketplaces in three primary categories: Local, Goods and Travel.
Product revenue is earned from direct sales of merchandise inventoryRefer to customers and includes any related shipping fees. Service revenue primarily represents the net commissions earned from selling goods and services provided by third-party merchants. Those marketplace transactions generally involve the online delivery of a voucher that can be redeemed by the purchaser with the third-party merchant for goods or services (or for discounts on goods or services). To a lesser extent, service revenue also includes commissions earned when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications. Additionally, in the United States we have recently been developing and testing voucherless offerings that are linked to customer credit cards. Customers claim those voucherless merchant offerings through our online marketplaces and earn cash back on their credit card statements when they transact with the related merchants, who pay us commissions for such transactions.
In connection with most of our product and service revenue transactions, we collect cash from credit card payment processors shortly after a sale occurs. For transactions in which we earn commissions when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications, we generally collect payment from affiliate networks on terms ranging from 30 to 150 days.


17

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




As discussed in Note 1, Description of Business and Basis of Presentation, we previously referred to our product revenue and service revenue as "direct revenue" and "third-party and other revenue," respectively.
Adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers
On January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("Topic 606") using the modified retrospective method. Beginning on January 1, 2018, results are presented in accordance with the revised policies, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historical policies. The adoption of Topic 606 did not significantly impact our presentation of revenue on a gross or net basis. The following changes resulted from the adoption of Topic 606:
For merchant agreements with redemption payment terms, the merchant is not paid its share of the sale price for a voucher sold through one of our online marketplaces until the customer redeems the related voucher. If the customer does not redeem a voucher with such merchant payment terms, we retain all of the gross billings for that voucher, rather than retaining only our net commission. Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we recognized that variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers and derecognized the related accrued merchant payables when our legal obligation to the merchant expired, which we believe is shortly after the voucher expiration date in most jurisdictions. Following our adoption of Topic 606, we estimate the variable consideration from vouchers that will not ultimately be redeemed and recognize that amount as revenue at the time of sale, rather than when our legal obligation expires. We estimate variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers using our historical voucher redemption experience. Most vouchers sold through the marketplace in the United States do not have expiration dates and redemption payment terms were not widely used in that jurisdiction before 2017, so the North America segment did not have variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers in prior periods.
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we expensed the incremental costs to obtain contracts with third-party merchants, such as sales commissions, as incurred. Following our adoption of Topic 606, those costs are deferred and recognized over the expected period of the merchant arrangement, generally from 12 to 18 months.
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we recognized breakage income for unused customer credits when they expired or were forfeited. Following our adoption of Topic 606, breakage income from customer credits that are not expected to be used is estimated and recognized as revenue in proportion to the pattern of redemption for customer credits that are used.
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we deferred the revenue from hotel reservation offerings until the customer's stay commenced. Following our adoption of Topic 606, revenue from hotel reservation offerings is recognized at the time the reservation is made, net of an allowance for estimated cancellations.
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we classified refunds on service revenue transactions for which the merchant's share of the refund amount is not recoverable as a cost of revenue. Following our adoption of Topic 606, those refunds are classified as a reduction of revenue.
Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, we classified credits issued to consumers for relationship purposes as a marketing expense. Following our adoption of Topic 606, those credits are classified as a reduction of revenue.


18

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




We recorded a net reduction to our opening accumulated deficit of $88.9 million, which is net of a $6.7 million income tax effect, as of January 1, 2018 due to the cumulative impact of adopting Topic 606. The following table summarizes balance sheet accounts impacted by the cumulative effect of adopting Topic 606 (in thousands):
Account Increase (decrease) to beginning accumulated deficit
Prepaid expenses and other current assets $(4,007)
Other non-current assets (10,223)
Accrued merchant and supplier payables (64,970)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (13,188)
Other non-current liabilities 3,443
Effect on beginning accumulated deficit $(88,945)
See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards13, Segment Information, for additional information about our revenue recognition policies beforesummarized by reportable segment and after the adoption of Topic 606.
Impacts on Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
The following tables summarize the impacts of adopting Topic 606 on our condensed consolidated financial statements as of andcategory for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 (in thousands):
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
 September 30, 2018
 As reported Effects of Topic 606 Balances without adoption of Topic 606
Total assets$1,403,920
 $(10,836) $1,393,084
Total liabilities1,072,280
 93,799
 1,166,079
Total equity331,640
 (104,635) 227,005


19

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 As reported Effects of Topic 606 Balances without adoption of Topic 606 As reported Effects of Topic 606 Balances without adoption of Topic 606
Revenue:           
Service revenue (1)(2)
$289,214
 $1,568
 $290,782
 $886,663
 $5,790
 $892,453
Product revenue303,669
 
 303,669
 950,156
 
 950,156
Total revenue592,883
 1,568
 594,451
 1,836,819
 5,790
 1,842,609
Cost of revenue:           
Service cost of revenue (3)
29,792
 8,609
 38,401
 91,167
 21,927
 113,094
Product cost of revenue257,102
 
 257,102
 791,120
 
 791,120
Cost of revenue (3)
286,894
 8,609
 295,503
 882,287
 21,927
 904,214
Gross profit305,989
 (7,041) 298,948
 954,532
 (16,137) 938,395
Operating expenses:           
Marketing (4)
92,717
 1,799
 94,516
 286,051
 5,506
 291,557
Selling, general and administrative (5)
160,214
 (763) 159,451
 676,399
 (3,254) 673,145
Restructuring charges35
 
 35
 (81) 
 (81)
Total operating expenses252,966
 1,036
 254,002
 962,369
 2,252
 964,621
Income (loss) from operations53,023
 (8,077) 44,946
 (7,837) (18,389) (26,226)
Other income (expense), net(4,860) 
 (4,860) (39,832) 
 (39,832)
Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes48,163
 (8,077) 40,086
 (47,669) (18,389) (66,058)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes (6)
988
 (643) 345
 205
 (776) (571)
Net income (loss)$47,175
 $(7,434) $39,741
 $(47,874) $(17,613) $(65,487)
(1)For the three months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of Topic 606 resulted in a $10.4 million decrease to Revenue for refunds on service revenue transactions for which the merchant's share is not recoverable and customer credits issued for relationship purposes and a decrease of $1.2 million related to the timing of recognition of revenue from hotel reservation offerings, partially offset by increases of $9.3 million related to the timing of recognition of variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers and $0.7 million related to the timing of recognition of breakage revenue from customer credits that are not expected to be used.
(2)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of Topic 606 resulted in a $27.4 million decrease to Revenue for refunds on service revenue transactions for which the merchant's share is not recoverable and customer credits issued for relationship purposes, partially offset by increases of $17.7 million related to the timing of recognition of variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers, $1.6 million related to the timing of recognition of revenue from hotel reservation offerings and $2.3 million related to the timing of recognition of breakage revenue from customer credits that are not expected to be used.
(3)Reflects decreases to Cost of revenue following the adoption of Topic 606 for refunds on service revenue transactions for which the merchant's share is not recoverable.
(4)Reflects decreases to Marketing expense following the adoption of Topic 606 for customer credits issued for relationship purposes.
(5)Reflects increases to Selling, general and Administrative expense for the amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs in excess of amounts capitalized.
(6)
As discussed in Note 13, Income Taxes, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we recognized an income tax benefit of $6.4 million resulting from the impact of adopting Topic 606 on intercompany activity in certain foreign jurisdictions. That income tax benefit is not reflected in this table, which presents the direct impacts of adopting Topic 606.


20

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




Segment2019 and Category Information
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 As reported Effects of Topic 606 Balances without adoption of Topic 606 As reported Effects of Topic 606 Balances without adoption of Topic 606
North America           
Service revenue:           
Local$180,059
 $128
 $180,187
 $553,340
 $4,654
 $557,994
Goods4,021
 (2) 4,019
 12,691
 93
 12,784
Travel17,217
 1,881
 19,098
 57,189
 (520) 56,669
Product revenue - Goods159,854
 
 159,854
 511,451
 
 511,451
Total North America revenue361,151
 2,007
 363,158
 1,134,671
 4,227
 1,138,898
            
International           
Service revenue:           
Local75,946
 (772) 75,174
 221,949
 1,728
 223,677
Goods2,584
 836
 3,420
 10,965
 40
 11,005
Travel9,387
 (503) 8,884
 30,529
 (205) 30,324
Product revenue - Goods143,815
 
 143,815
 438,705
 
 438,705
Total International revenue231,732
 (439) 231,293
 702,148
 1,563
 703,711
            
Consolidated           
Service revenue:           
Local256,005
 (644) 255,361
 775,289
 6,382
 781,671
Goods6,605
 834
 7,439
 23,656
 133
 23,789
Travel26,604
 1,378
 27,982
 87,718
 (725) 86,993
Product revenue - Goods303,669
 
 303,669
 950,156
 
 950,156
Total Consolidated Revenue$592,883
 $1,568
 $594,451
 $1,836,819
 $5,790
 $1,842,609
2018.
Contract Balances
A substantial majority of our deferred revenue relates to product sales for which revenue will be recognized as the products are delivered to customers, generally within one week following the balance sheet date. Our deferred revenue was $25.8$16.0 million and $20.7$25.5 million as of January 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018, respectively.2019 and December 31, 2018. The amount of revenue recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period was $25.4 million.$25.0 million.




2120

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





The following table summarizes the activity in the liability for customer credits for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 (in thousands):
Customer CreditsCustomer Credits
Balance as of January 1, 2018$19,414
Balance as of December 31, 2018$15,118
Credits issued97,586
85,053
Credits redeemed (1)
(83,818)(74,974)
Breakage revenue recognized(15,639)(8,617)
Foreign currency translation(123)(218)
Balance as of September 30, 2018$17,420
Balance as of September 30, 2019$16,362
(1)Customer credits can be redeemed through our online marketplaces for goods or services provided by a third-party merchant or for merchandise inventory sold by us. When customer credits are redeemed for goods or services provided by a third-party merchant, service revenue is recognized on a net basis as the difference between the carrying amount of the customer credit liability derecognized and the amount due to the merchant for the related transaction. When customer credits are redeemed for merchandise inventory sold by us, product revenue is recognized on a gross basis equal to the amount of the customer credit liability derecognized. Customer credits are primarilytypically used within one year of issuance.
Costs of Obtaining Contracts
12. RESTRUCTURING
In September 2015, we commenced a restructuring plan relating primarilyIncremental costs to workforce reductions in our international operations. We have also undertaken workforce reductions in our North America segment. In addition to workforce reductions in our ongoing markets, we ceased operations in 17 countries within our International segmentobtain contracts with third-party merchants, such as partsales commissions, are deferred and recognized over the expected period of the restructuring plan betweenmerchant arrangement, generally from 12 to 18 months. Deferred contract acquisition costs are presented within the following line items of the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 201530, 2019 and March 2016. Those country exits, which generally comprised our smallest international markets, resulted from a seriesDecember 31, 2018 (in thousands):
 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Prepaid expenses and other current assets$2,185
 $2,923
Other non-current assets10,449
 11,285

The amortization of separate decisions made at different times during that period that were not part of an overall strategic shift. Costs related to the restructuring plan aredeferred contract acquisition costs is classified as Restructuring charges onwithin Selling, general and administrative expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The actions under our restructuring plan were completed as of September 30, 2017 and substantially all ofWe did not recognize any impairment losses in relation to the cash payments for actions under that plan are expected to be disbursed through December 31, 2018.
We incurred cumulative costs for employee severance and benefits and other exit costs of $80.1 million underdeferred costs. During the plan since its inception in September 2015. In addition to those costs, we incurred cumulative long-lived asset impairment charges of $7.5 million resulting from our restructuring activities. The amounts presented in Restructuring charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, reflect changes in estimatesamortization expense related to prior actions.deferred contract acquisition costs is as follows (in thousands):
The following tables summarize costs incurred by
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs$5,010
 $6,151
 $15,549
 $19,450

Variable Consideration for Unredeemed Vouchers
In our International segment and, to a lesser extent, in our North America segment, our merchant agreements have redemption payment terms, under which the merchant is not paid its share of the sale price for a voucher sold through one of our online marketplaces until the customer redeems the related voucher. If the customer does not redeem a voucher with such merchant payment terms, we retain all of the gross billings for that voucher, rather than retaining only our net commission. We estimate the variable consideration from vouchers that will not ultimately be redeemed using our historical voucher redemption experience and recognize that amount as revenue at the time of sale. We only recognize amounts in variable consideration when we believe it is probable that a significant reversal of revenue will not occur in future periods, which requires us to make significant estimates of future redemptions. If actual redemptions differ from our estimates, the effects could be material to the restructuring plan for the three and nine months endedcondensed consolidated financial statements. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, we constrained $16.5 million and 2017 (in thousands):$13.7 million in revenue from unredeemed vouchers that we may recognize in future periods when we determine it is probable that a significant amount of that revenue will not be subsequently reversed.


21
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 Employee Severance and Benefit Costs Other Exit Costs Total Restructuring Charges
North America$
 $
 $
International48
 (13) 35
Consolidated$48
 $(13) $35
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 Employee Severance and Benefit Costs Other Exit Costs Total Restructuring Charges (Credits)
North America$
 $177
 $177
International(298) 40
 (258)
Consolidated$(298) $217
 $(81)
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
 
Employee Severance and Benefit Costs (1)
 Other Exit Costs Total Restructuring Charges
North America$3,662
 $3,309
 $6,971
International4,296
 236
 4,532
Consolidated$7,958
 $3,545
 $11,503
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
 
Employee Severance and Benefit Costs (1)
 Other Exit Costs Total Restructuring Charges
North America$8,127
 $3,774
 $11,901
International4,905
 2,012
 6,917
Consolidated$13,032
 $5,786
 $18,818
(1)The employee severance and benefit costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 related to the termination of approximately 400 and 750 employees, respectively.
The following table summarizes restructuring liability activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 (in thousands):
 Employee Severance and Benefit Costs Other Exit Costs Total
Balance as of December 31, 2017$3,817
 $304
 $4,121
Charges payable in cash(298) 217
 (81)
Cash payments(2,028) (521) (2,549)
Foreign currency translation(69) 
 (69)
Balance as of September 30, 2018$1,422
 $
 $1,422

13.
GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

10. INCOME TAXES
Our income tax provision for interim periods is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, we recorded anProvision (benefit) for income tax expensetaxes and income (loss) from continuing operations of $1.0 million on pretaxbefore provision (benefit) for income from continuing operations of $48.2 million. For the three months ended September 30, 2017, we recorded an income tax expense from continuing operations of $2.5 million on pretax income from continuing operations of $6.3 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we recorded an income tax expense from continuing operations of $0.2 million on a pretax loss from continuing operations of $47.7 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, we recorded an income tax expense from continuing operations of $11.0 million on a pretax loss from continuing operations of $11.5 million.
Our U.S. Federal income tax rate is 21%taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and was 35% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Provision (benefit) for income taxes$2,069
 $988
 $591
 $205
Income (loss) from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes(12,616) 48,163
 (92,909) (47,669)

Our U.S. Federal income tax rate is 21%. The primary factor impacting the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was the pretax losses incurred in jurisdictions that have valuation allowances against their net deferred tax assets. We expect that our consolidated effective tax rate in future periods will continue to differ significantly from the U.S. federal income tax rate as a result of our tax obligations in jurisdictions with profits and valuation allowances in jurisdictions with losses. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 also reflected the reversal of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the closure of a tax audit. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 also reflected a $6.4 million income tax benefit resulting from the impact of adoptingAccounting Standards Codification Topic 606,Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("Topic 606") on intercompany activity in certain foreign jurisdictions.
We are currently undergoing income tax audits in multiple jurisdictions. It is likely that the examination phase of some of those audits will conclude in the next 12 months. There are many factors, including factors outside of our control, which influence the progress and completion of those audits. During the fourth quarter 2017, we received an incomeWe are subject to claims for tax assessment andassessments by foreign jurisdictions, including a notification of proposed assessment from the tax authorities in two foreign jurisdictions, totaling $133.6 million in the aggregate.for $105.6 million. We believe that the assessments,assessment, which primarily relaterelates to transfer pricing on transactions occurring fromin 2011, to 2014, areis without merit and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves in those matters.that matter. In addition to any potential increases in our liabilities for uncertain tax positions from the ultimate resolution of those assessments,that assessment, we believe that it is reasonably possible that reductions of up to $41.6$21.0 million in unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the 12 months following September 30, 20182019 upon closing of income tax audits or the expiration of applicable statutes of limitations.
The Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 ("SAB 118") to address the application of U.S. GAAP to situations in which an entity does not have the necessary information available, prepared or analyzed in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Jobs Act. That guidance specifies that, for income tax effects of the Jobs Act that can be reasonably estimated but for which the accounting and measurement analysis is not yet complete, entities should report provisional amounts in the reporting period that includes the enactment date and those provisional amounts can be adjusted for a measurement period not to exceed one year from the enactment date. Additionally, for income tax effects of the Jobs Act that cannot be reasonably estimated, entities should report provisional amounts for those income tax effects in the first reporting period in which a reasonable estimate can be determined, not to exceed one year from the enactment date.
We previously made provisional estimates for the impact of the Jobs Act as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 related to the re-measurement of deferred income taxes, valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, and our assessment of permanently reinvested earnings. Additionally, while we did not expect to incur the deemed repatriation tax established by the Jobs Act due to the aggregate cumulative losses of our foreign operations, we had not previously finalized the related calculations. As of September 30, 2018, we have substantially completed our accounting and measurement analyses related to the income tax effects of the Jobs Act and no significant adjustments to the provisional amounts were recorded during the three and nine months then ended.
The Jobs Act also establishes global intangible low-taxed income ("GILTI") provisions that impose a tax on foreign income in excess of a deemed return on tangible assets of foreign corporations. Our accounting policy for the income tax effects of GILTI will be to recognize those taxes as expenses in the period incurred.
In general, it is our practice and intention to reinvest the earnings of our non-U.S. subsidiaries in those operations. Additionally, while we did not incur the deemed repatriation tax, established by the Jobs Act, an actual repatriation from our non-U.S. subsidiaries could be subject to foreign and U.S. state income taxes. Aside from limited exceptions for which the related deferred tax liabilities recognized as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 are immaterial, we do not intend to distribute earnings of foreign subsidiaries for which we have an excess of the financial reporting basis over the tax basis of our investments and therefore have not recorded any deferred taxes related to such amounts. The actual tax cost resulting from a distribution would depend on income tax laws and circumstances at the time of distribution. Determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the excess of the financial reporting basis over the tax basis of our foreign subsidiaries is not practical due to the complexities associated with the calculation.

Groupon uses a cost-sharing arrangement under which controlled members agree to share the costs and risks of developing intangible properties in accordance with their reasonably anticipated share of benefits from the intangibles. On July 24, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Altera Corp. v. Commissioner requiring related parties in an intercompany cost-sharing arrangement to share expenses related to stock-based compensation. This opinion reversed an earlier decision of the United States Tax Court. On August 7, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals withdrew its July 24, 2018 opinion. On June 7, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the Tax Court decision and ruled that stock-based compensation must be included in the shared pool of expenses. We do not expect that the ruling will have a material impact on our provision for income taxes for the year ending December 31, 2019 due to the valuation allowances against our net deferred tax assets in the related jurisdictions.



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GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





14.11. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined under U.S. GAAP as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability.
To increase the comparability of fair value measures, the following hierarchy prioritizes the inputs in valuation methodologies used to measure fair value:
Level 1 - Measurements that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level 2 - Measurements that include other inputs that are directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace.
Level 3 - Measurements derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. These fair value measurements require significant judgment.
In determining fair value, we use various valuation approaches within the fair value measurement framework. The valuation methodologies used for our assets and liabilities measured at fair value and their classification in the valuation hierarchy are summarized below:
Cash equivalents. Cash equivalents primarily consisted of AAA-rated money market funds. We classified cash equivalents as Level 1 due to the short-term nature of these instruments and measured the fair value based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.
Fair value option investments and available-for-sale securities. To determine the fair value of our fair value option investments each period, we first estimate the fair value of each entity in its entirety. We primarily use the discounted cash flow method, which is an income approach, to estimate the fair value of the investees.entities. The key inputs to determining fair values under that approach are cash flow forecasts and discount rates. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, we applied discount rates of 21% and 22%, respectively, in our discounted cash flow valuations for Monster LP. We also use a market approach valuation technique, which is based on market multiples of guideline companies, to determine the fair value of each entity. The discounted cash flow and market multiple valuations are then evaluated and weighted to determine the amount that is most representative of the fair value of each entity. Once we determine the fair value of each entity, we then determine the fair value of our specific investments in those entities. The entities have complex capital structures, so we apply an option-pricing model that considers the liquidation preferences of each investee’sentity's respective classes of ownership interests to determine the fair value of our investment in each entity.
We also have investments in redeemable preferred shares and had investments in convertible debt securities issued by nonpublic entities. We measure the fair value of those available-for-sale securities using the discounted cash flow method.
We have classified our fair value option investments and our investments in available-for-sale securities as Level 3 due to the lack of observable market data over fair value inputs such as cash flow projections and discount rates. Increases in projected cash flows and decreases in discount rates contribute to increases in the estimated fair values of the fair value option investments and available-for-sale securities, whereas decreases in projected cash flows and increases in discount rates contribute to decreases in their fair values.
Contingent consideration. We are subject to a contingent consideration arrangement to transfer a maximum payout in cash of $2.6$2.5 million to the former owners of a business acquired on April 30, 2018. See Note 4, Business Combinations, for further discussion of that acquisition. Additionally, we had contingent obligations in prior periods to transfer cash to the former owners of a previous business acquisition if specified financial results were met (i.e. an earnout).
Liabilities for contingent consideration are measured at fair value each reporting period, with the acquisition-date fair value included as part of the consideration transferred in the related business combination and


23

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




subsequent changes in fair value recorded in earnings within Selling, general and administrative expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
We use an income approach to value contingent consideration obligations based on the present value of probability-weighted future cash flows. We classify the contingent consideration liabilities as Level 3 due to the lack of relevant observable market data over fair value inputs such as probability-weighting of payment outcomes.


23

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

The following tables summarize assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
  Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using  Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
September 30, 2018 Quoted Prices in Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
September 30, 2019 Quoted Prices in Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Assets:              
Fair value option investments$74,654
 $
 $
 $74,654
$4,931
 $
 $
 $4,931
Available-for-sale securities:       
Redeemable preferred shares10,207
 
 
 10,207
Available-for-sale securities - redeemable preferred shares10,138
 
 
 10,138
              
Liabilities:              
Contingent consideration1,543
 
 
 1,543
1,207
 
 
 1,207
   Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
 December 31, 2018 Quoted Prices in Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Assets:       
Fair value option investments$73,902
 $
 $
 $73,902
Available-for-sale securities - redeemable preferred shares10,340
 
 
 10,340
        
Liabilities:       
Contingent consideration1,529
 
 
 1,529

   Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
 December 31, 2017 Quoted Prices in Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Cash equivalents$137,975
 $137,975
 $
 $
Fair value option investments82,966
 
 
 82,966
Available-for-sale securities:       
Convertible debt securities11,354
 
 
 11,354
Redeemable preferred shares15,431
 
 
 15,431




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GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





The following table provides a roll-forwardrollforward of the fair value of recurring Level 3 fair value measurements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Assets       
Fair value option investments:       
Beginning Balance$4,917
 $74,898
 $73,902
 $82,966
Total gains (losses) included in earnings14
 (244) (68,971) (8,312)
Ending Balance$4,931
 $74,654
 $4,931
 $74,654
Unrealized gains (losses) still held (1)
$14
 $(244) $(68,971) $(8,312)
Available-for-sale securities       
Convertible debt securities:       
Beginning Balance$
 $10,236
 $
 $11,354
Proceeds from sale of convertible debt security
 (8,594) 
 (8,594)
Transfer to other equity investment upon conversion of convertible debt security
 (1,500) 
 (4,008)
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)
 (106) 
 (1,148)
Total gains (losses) included in earnings (2)

 (36) 
 2,396
Ending Balance$
 $
 $
 $
Unrealized gains (losses) still held (1)
$
 $
 $
 $
Redeemable preferred shares:       
Beginning Balance$10,201
 $9,961
 $10,340
 $15,431
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)(63) 246
 (202) 246
Impairments included in earnings
 
 
 (5,470)
Ending Balance$10,138
 $10,207
 $10,138
 $10,207
Unrealized gains (losses) still held (1)
$(63) $246
 $(202) $(5,224)
Liabilities       
Contingent Consideration:       
Beginning Balance$1,239
 $1,542
 $1,529
 $
Issuance of contingent consideration in connection with acquisition
 
 
 1,589
Settlements of contingent consideration liabilities
 
 (312) 
Total losses (gains) included in earnings6
 21
 33
 35
Foreign currency translation(38) (20) (43) (81)
Ending Balance$1,207
 $1,543
 $1,207
 $1,543
Unrealized gains (losses) still held (1)
$6
 $21
 $33
 $35
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Assets       
Fair value option investments:       
Beginning Balance$74,898
 $81,439
 $82,966
 $82,584
Total gains (losses) included in earnings(244) (3,955) (8,312) (5,100)
Ending Balance$74,654
 $77,484
 $74,654
 $77,484
Unrealized gains (losses) still held (1)
$(244) $(3,955) $(8,312) $(5,100)
Available-for-sale securities       
Convertible debt securities:       
Beginning Balance$10,236
 $10,868
 $11,354
 $10,038
Purchase of convertible debt security
 
 
 1,612
Proceeds from sales and maturities of convertible debt security(8,594) 
 (8,594) (1,843)
Transfer to other equity investment upon conversion of convertible debt security(1,500) 
 (4,008) 
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)(106) 146
 (1,148) (387)
   Total gains (losses) included in earnings (2)
(36) 218
 2,396
 1,812
Ending Balance$
 $11,232
 $
 $11,232
Unrealized gains (losses) still held (1)
$
 $364
 $
 $1,180
Redeemable preferred shares:       
Beginning Balance$9,961
 $15,923
 $15,431
 $17,444
Total gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income (loss)246
 (371) 246
 (1,892)
Impairments included in earnings
 
 (5,470) 
Ending Balance$10,207
 $15,552
 $10,207
 $15,552
Unrealized (losses) gains still held (1)
$246
 $(371) $(5,224) $(1,892)
   

    
Liabilities       
Contingent Consideration:       
Beginning Balance$1,542
 $
 $
 $14,588
Issuance of contingent consideration in connection with acquisition
 
 1,589
 
Settlements of contingent consideration liabilities
 
 
 (7,858)
Reclass to non-fair value liabilities when no longer contingent
 
 
 (6,778)
Total losses (gains) included in earnings21
 
 35
 48
Foreign currency translation(20) 
 (81) 
Ending Balance$1,543
 $
 $1,543
 $
Unrealized losses (gains) still held (1)
$21
 $
 $35
 $

(1)Represents the unrealized gains or losses recorded in earnings and/or other comprehensive income (loss) during the period for assets and liabilities classified as Level 3 that are still held (or outstanding) at the end of the period.
(2)Represents a gain at maturity of a previously impaired convertible debt security, accretion of interest income and changes in the fair value of an embedded derivative.
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, including assets that are written down to fair value as a result of an impairment. We did not record any significant nonrecurring fair value measurements after initial recognition for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. We recorded a $4.6$4.7 million impairment of animpairments of other equity


25

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




investment during investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. To determine the fair value of the investment, we considered the financial condition of the investee and applied a market approach. We have classified the fair value measurement of that other equity investment as Level 3 because it involves significant


25

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)

unobservable inputs. We did not record any other nonrecurring fair value measurements after initial recognition for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017.2018.
Estimated Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities Not Measured at Fair Value
The following table presents the carrying amount and fair value of equity securities that were classified as cost method investments as of December 31, 2017 (in thousands):
 December 31, 2017
 Carrying Amount Fair Value
Cost method investments (1)
$25,438
 $32,792
(1)
See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards, and Note 6, Investments, for information about our adoption of ASU 2016-01 on January 1, 2018 and its impact on accounting for equity investments without readily determinable fair values that were previously subject to the cost method of accounting.
The fair values of our cost method investments were determined using the market approach or the income approach, depending on the availability of fair value inputs such as financial projections for the investees and market multiples for comparable companies. We classified the fair value measurements of our cost method investments as Level 3 measurements within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2017 because they involve significant unobservable inputs such as cash flow projections and discount rates.
Our other financial instruments not carried at fair value consist primarily of accounts receivable, restricted cash, accounts payable, accrued merchant and supplier payables and accrued expenses. The carrying values of those assets and liabilities approximate their respective fair values as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 due to their short-term nature.
15.12. INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
Basic net income (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares and the effect of potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period. Potentially dilutive securities include stock options, restricted stock units, performance share units, performance bonus awards, ESPP shares, warrants and convertible senior notes. If dilutive, those potentially dilutive securities are reflected in diluted net income (loss) per share by application of the treasury stock method, except for the convertible senior notes, which are subject to the if-converted method.


26

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)




The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands, except share amounts and per share amounts):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:       
Numerator       
Net income (loss) - continuing operations$(14,685) $47,175
 $(93,500) $(47,874)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests2,000
 2,560
 8,080
 9,433
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - continuing operations(16,685) 44,615
 (101,580) (57,307)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - discontinued operations
 
 2,162
 
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders$(16,685) $44,615
 $(99,418) $(57,307)
Denominator       
Shares used in computation of basic net income (loss) per share566,971,238
 568,634,988
 568,339,335
 565,227,625
Weighted-average effect of dilutive securities:       
Stock options
 171,662
 
 
Restricted stock units
 7,344,425
 
 
Employee stock purchase plan
 228,346
 
 
Shares used in computation of diluted net income (loss) per share566,971,238
 576,379,421
 568,339,335
 565,227,625
        
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:       
Continuing operations$(0.03) $0.08
 $(0.18) $(0.10)
Discontinued operations
 
 0.01 
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share$(0.03) $0.08
 $(0.17) $(0.10)



26

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:       
Numerator       
Net income (loss) - continuing operations$47,175
 $3,802
 $(47,874) $(22,470)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests2,560
 2,881
 9,433
 9,460
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - continuing operations44,615
 921
 (57,307) (31,930)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - discontinued operations
 (862) 
 (1,751)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders$44,615
 $59
 $(57,307) $(33,681)
Denominator       
Shares used in computation of basic net income (loss) per share568,634,988
 557,221,040
 565,227,625
 559,726,154
Weighted-average effect of dilutive securities7,744,433
 9,448,009
 
 
Shares used in computation of diluted net income (loss) per share576,379,421
 566,669,049
 565,227,625
 559,726,154
        
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share (1):
       
Continuing operations$0.08
 $0.00
 $(0.10) $(0.06)
Discontinued operations0.00
 (0.00) 0.00
 (0.00)
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share$0.08
 $0.00
 $(0.10) $(0.06)

(1)The potentially dilutive impacts of outstanding equity awards, warrants and convertible senior notes have been excluded from the calculation of dilutive net income (loss) per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 as their effect on net income (loss) per share from continuing operations was antidilutive.
The following weighted-average potentially dilutive instruments are not included in the diluted net income (loss) per share calculations above because they would have had an antidilutive effect on the net income (loss) per share from continuing operations:
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Restricted stock units35,378,166
 12,462,410
 33,148,939
 31,072,428
Other stock-based compensation awards1,561,105
 16,000
 1,630,902
 2,073,802
Convertible senior notes46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
Warrants46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
Total129,531,871
 105,071,010
 127,372,441
 125,738,830
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Restricted stock units12,462,410
 7,220,418
 31,072,428
 27,801,509
Other stock-based compensation awards16,000
 16,000
 2,073,802
 3,405,560
Convertible senior notes46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
Warrants46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
 46,296,300
Total105,071,010
 99,829,018
 125,738,830
 123,799,669

We had outstanding performance share units as of September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 that were eligible to vest into shares of common stock subject to the achievement of specified performance conditions. Contingently issuable shares are excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share if, based on current period results, the shares would not be issuable if the end of the reporting period were the end of the contingency period. There were up to 5,326,72514,441,345 and 1,179,9845,326,725 shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of outstanding performance share units as of September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively,2018 that were excluded from the table above as the performance conditions were not satisfied as of the end of the respective periods.




27

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





16.13. SEGMENT INFORMATION
The segment information reported in the tables below reflects the operating results that are regularly reviewed by our chief operating decision maker to assess performance and make resource allocation decisions. Our operations are organized into two segments: North America and International.
The following table summarizes revenue by reportable segment and category for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
North America              
Service revenue:              
Local$180,059
 $194,090
 $553,340
 $602,169
$175,140
 $180,059
 $532,599
 $553,340
Goods4,021
 4,323
 12,691
 10,139
3,000
 4,021
 9,841
 12,691
Travel17,217
 18,300
 57,189
 61,082
13,680
 17,217
 48,746
 57,189
Total service revenue191,820
 201,297
 591,186
 623,220
Product revenue - Goods159,854
 197,501
 511,451
 666,093
111,776
 159,854
 394,235
 511,451
Total North America revenue (1)
361,151
 414,214
 1,134,671
 1,339,483
303,596
 361,151
 985,421
 1,134,671
              
International              
Service revenue:              
Local75,946
 71,574
 221,949
 201,257
65,440
 75,946
 208,625
 221,949
Goods2,584
 4,370
 10,965
 13,638
2,817
 2,584
 6,882
 10,965
Travel9,387
 9,801
 30,529
 31,599
8,003
 9,387
 24,817
 30,529
Total service revenue76,260
 87,917
 240,324
 263,443
Product revenue - Goods143,815
 134,507
 438,705
 384,734
115,756
 143,815
 380,854
 438,705
Total International revenue (1)
$231,732
 $220,252
 $702,148
 $631,228
$192,016
 $231,732
 $621,178
 $702,148
(1)
North America includes revenue from the United States of $352.3$297.9 million and $410.5$352.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and 2017, respectively,$965.9 million and $1,108.8 million and $1,317.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively.2018. International includes revenue from the United Kingdom of $94.0$69.4 million and $82.2$94.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and 2017, respectively,$221.8 million and $268.5 million and $222.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively. 2018. There were no other individual countries that represented more than 10% of consolidated total revenue for thethree and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017.2018. Revenue is attributed to individual countries based on the location of the customer.




28

GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





The following table summarizes gross profit by reportable segment and category for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
North America       
Service gross profit:       
Local$155,032
 $159,379
 $473,787
 $491,420
Goods2,280
 3,634
 7,838
 10,565
Travel10,717
 13,801
 38,791
 46,106
Total service gross profit168,029
 176,814
 520,416
 548,091
Product gross profit - Goods24,046
 27,234
 80,045
 95,008
Total North America gross profit192,075
 204,048
 600,461
 643,099
        
International       
Service gross profit:       
Local61,183
 71,639
 195,941
 209,214
Goods2,589
 2,320
 6,241
 9,972
Travel7,332
 8,649
 22,743
 28,219
Total service gross profit71,104
 82,608
 224,925
 247,405
Product gross profit - Goods14,761
 19,333
 50,702
 64,028
Total International gross profit$85,865
 $101,941
 $275,627
 $311,433
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
North America       
Service gross profit:       
Local$159,379
 $162,914
 $491,420
 $511,865
Goods3,634
 3,205
 10,565
 7,719
Travel13,801
 14,060
 46,106
 46,980
Product gross profit - Goods27,234
 27,729
 95,008
 96,141
Total North America gross profit204,048
 207,908
 643,099
 662,705
        
International       
Service gross profit:       
Local71,639
 67,860
 209,214
 189,357
Goods2,320
 3,639
 9,972
 11,800
Travel8,649
 8,922
 28,219
 28,954
Product gross profit - Goods19,333
 21,096
 64,028
 54,127
Total International gross profit$101,941
 $101,517
 $311,433
 $284,238

The following table summarizes operating income (loss) from operations by reportable segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Operating income (loss) (1) (2) (3) (4) :
       
Income (loss) from operations (1) (2) (3):
       
North America
$51,004
 $(6,995) $(19,380) $(33,811)$15,691
 $51,004
 $20,655
 $(19,380)
International2,019
 5,782
 11,543
 13,520
(11,054) 2,019
 (20,962) 11,543
Total operating income (loss)$53,023
 $(1,213) $(7,837) $(20,291)
Total income (loss) from operations$4,637
 $53,023
 $(307) $(7,837)
(1)
Includes stock-based compensation of $13.8$16.8 million and $16.9$13.8 million for North America and $1.2$2.7 million and $1.4$1.2 million for International for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and 2017, respectively,$55.7 million and $46.7 million and $55.2 million for North America and $3.9$6.8 million and $4.1$3.9 million for International for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively.2018.
(2)Includes acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net of $0.7 million for International for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
(3)
Includes restructuring charges (credits) for North America and International. See Note 12, Restructuring, for restructuring charges by segment.
(4)
The three months ended September 30, 2018 includes a $40.4 million benefit for North America fromrelated to the settlement of the IBM patent litigation matter and the nine months ended September 30, 2018 includes a $34.6 million charge for North America related to the IBM patent litigation matter. See Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, for additional information.
litigation.




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GROUPON, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(unaudited)





The following table summarizes total assets by reportable segment as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 20172018 (in thousands):
September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Total assets:      
North America (1)
$796,711
 $1,045,072
$883,200
 $958,412
International (1)
607,209
 632,433
487,502
 683,730
Consolidated total assets$1,403,920
 $1,677,505
$1,370,702
 $1,642,142
(1)
North America contains assets from the United States of $777.3$861.2 million and $1,006.2$940.5 million as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 2017, respectively.2018. International contains assets from Ireland of $145.3$204.6 million and $219.7 millionas of December 31, 2018. Assets from Ireland were less than 10% of consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.2019. There were no other individual countries that represented more than 10% of consolidated total assets as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 2017.2018.


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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes included under Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This discussion contains forward-looking statements about our business and operations. Our actual results may differ materially from those we currently anticipate as a result of many factors, including those we describe under Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. See Part I, Financial Information, Forward-Looking Statements, for additional information.
Overview
Groupon operates online local commerce marketplaces throughout the worldin 15 countries that connect merchants to consumers by offering goods and services, generally at a discount. Consumers access those marketplaces through our websites, primarily localized groupon.com sites in many countries, and our mobile applications. Traditionally, local merchants have tried to reach consumers and generate sales through a variety of methods, including online advertising, paid telephone directories, direct mail, newspaper, radio, television and other promotions. By bringing the brick and mortar world of local commerce onto the Internet, Groupon is helping local merchants to attract customers and sell goods and services. We provide consumers with savings and help them discover what to do, eat, see, buy and where to travel.
Our operations are organized into two segments: North America and International. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019, we derived 61.3% of our revenue from our North America segment and 38.7% of our revenue from our International segment. See Item 1, Note 13, Segment Information, for additional information. We offer goods and services through our online marketplaces in three primary categories: Local, Goods and Travel. During 2017
We generate both product and continuingservice revenue from our business operations. Our product revenue from transactions in 2018,which we have shifted moresell merchandise inventory in our Goods category is the purchase price received from the customer. Our service revenue from transactions in which we earn commissions by selling goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants is the purchase price collected from the customer less the portion of the purchase price paid to the merchant.
Our focus is on our websites and mobile applications in North America to offerings in our Local category, which we believe provides us with the greatest opportunity fordriving long-term gross profit growth. Additionally,growth by enhancing the customer experience, establishing Groupon as partan open platform, continuing to realize our international potential and maintaining a culture of our growth strategy, weoperational efficiency. We have been developingdeveloped and are testing a number of product enhancements that are intended to make our offerings easier to use for both customers and merchants and to improve purchase frequency, including cash back offers linked to customer credit cards.cards, booking capabilities and a paid membership program in North America, Groupon Select, which offers greater discounts on our offerings and other benefits. We have also entered into commercial agreements with third parties that enable us to feature additional merchant offerings through our marketplaces and for our inventory to be distributed through other marketplaces.
We generate bothmaintain a long-term focus on driving International to achieve gross profit that is more comparable to that of North America. Our initiatives to grow International include leveraging enhanced marketing analytics, investing more technology resources toward expanding product and service revenue fromofferings and growing our business operations. In prior years,inventory of deal offerings. While we referredexpect to product revenue and service revenue as "direct revenue" and "third-party and other revenue," respectively. This terminology change did not impact the amounts presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
We earn product revenue from direct sales of merchandise inventory through our Goods category. Product revenue is reported on a gross basis as the purchase price received from the customer. Product revenue, including associated shipping revenue, is recognized when title passes to the customer upon delivery of the product.
We primarily earn service revenue from transactions in which we earn commissions by selling goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants. Those transactions generally involve a customer's purchase of a voucher through one of our online marketplaces that can be redeemed with a third-party merchant for specified goods or services (or for discounts on specified goods or services). Service revenue from those transactions is reported on a net basis as the purchase price collected from the customer less the portion of the purchase price that is payable to the third-party merchant. We recognize revenue from those transactions when our commission has been earned, which occurs when a sale through one of our online marketplaces is completed and the related voucher has been made available to the customer. Service revenue also includes commissions that we earn when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications and from voucherless merchant offerings in which customers earn cash back on their credit card statements when they transact with third-party merchants. We recognize those commissions as revenue when earned, which occurs when the underlying transactions between the customer and the third-party merchant are completed.
On April 30, 2018, we acquired 80% of the outstanding shares of Cloud Savings Company, Ltd. ("Cloud Savings"), for total consideration of $74.3 million, consisting of $64.1 million in cash, an $8.6 million financing obligation, and contingent consideration of $1.6 million. Cloud Savings is a UK-based business that operates online discount code and digital gift card platforms, and its results of operations are reported within our International segment.
On September 28, 2018, we entered into settlement and license agreements with IBM fully resolving the Delaware Action, the Illinois Action and related proceedings with IBM. The settlement terms provide, among other terms, for the payment of $57.5 million to IBM, a cross-license to the parties’ respective patent portfolios, mutual releases of claims and the dismissal with prejudice of the Delaware Action and the Illinois Action. On October 2, 2018, the court in the Delaware Action entered an order dismissing the Delaware Action with prejudice. On October 1, 2018, the court in the Illinois Action entered an order dismissing the Illinois Action with prejudice. We previously recorded a $75.0 million charge in the second quarter 2018 to increase our contingent liability for this matter to the $82.5 million jury award. That charge was classified within Selling, general and administrative expenseinvest in our condensed consolidated statement of operations. During the third quarter 2018,key initiatives, we reduced Selling, generalwill continue to do so as disciplined operators and administrative expense by $40.4 million as a result of the IBM settlement, reflecting the $25.0 million decrease from the jury award and $15.4 million that was capitalized for the licenseseek opportunities to use the patented technology in future periods under the terms of the settlement and license agreements.improve our efficiency.
How We Measure Our Business
We measure our business withuse several financial and operating metrics. We use those metrics to assess the progress of our business and make decisions on where to allocate capital, time and technology investments. Certain of the financial metrics are reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP and certain of those metrics are considered non-GAAP financial measures. As our business evolves, we may make changes in future periods to the key financial and operating metrics that we use to measure our business. For further information and reconciliations to the most applicable financial measures under U.S. GAAP, refer to our discussion under Non-GAAP Financial Measures in the Results of Operations section.


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Financial Metrics
Revenue. Product revenue is earned from direct sales of merchandise inventory through our Goods category and is reported on a gross basis as the purchase price received from the customer. Service revenue is earned from transactions in which we earn commissions by selling goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants, primarily through sales of vouchers and similar transactions in which we collect the transaction price from the customer and remit a portion of that transaction price to the third-party merchant who will provide the related goods or services. Service revenue from those transactions is reported on a net basis as the purchase price collected from the customer less the portion of the purchase price that is payable to the third-party merchant. Service revenue also includes commissions we earn when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications and from voucherless merchant offerings in which customers earn cash back on their credit card statements when they transact with third-party merchants.
Gross profit. Gross profit reflects the net margin earned after deducting our cost of revenue from our revenue. Due to the lack of comparability between product revenue, which is reported on a gross basis, and service revenue, which primarily consists of transactions reported on a net basis, we believe that gross profit is an important measure for evaluating our performance.
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) from continuing operations excluding income taxes, interest and other non-operating items, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, acquisition-related expense (benefit), net and other special charges and credits, including items that are unusual in nature or infrequently occurring. For further information and a reconciliation to Income (loss) from continuing operations, refer to our discussion under Non-GAAP Financial Measures in the Results of Operations section.
Free cash flow. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that comprises net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software from continuing operations. For further information and a reconciliation to Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations, refer to our discussion in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section.


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Revenue is earned through product and service revenue transactions. We earn product revenue from direct sales of merchandise inventory in our Goods category and report product revenue on a gross basis as the purchase price received from the customer. We earn service revenue from transactions in which we generate commissions by selling goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants, primarily through sales of vouchers and similar transactions in which we collect the transaction price from the customer and remit a portion of that transaction price to the third-party merchant who will provide the related goods or services. We report service revenue from those transactions on a net basis as the purchase price collected from the customer less the portion of the purchase price that is payable to the third-party merchant. Service revenue also includes commissions we earn when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications and from voucherless merchant offerings in which customers earn cash back on their credit card statements when they transact with third-party merchants.
Gross profit reflects the net margin we earn after deducting our cost of revenue from our revenue. Due to the lack of comparability between product revenue, which is reported on a gross basis, and service revenue, which primarily consists of transactions reported on a net basis, we believe that gross profit is an important measure for evaluating our performance.
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) from continuing operations excluding income taxes, interest and other non-operating items, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, acquisition-related expense (benefit), net and other special charges and credits, including items that are unusual in nature or infrequently occurring. For further information and a reconciliation to Income (loss) from continuing operations, refer to our discussion under Non-GAAP Financial Measures in the Results of Operations section.
Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that comprises net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software. For further information and a reconciliation to Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations, refer to our discussion in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section.
The following table presents the above financial metrics for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Revenue$592,883
 $634,466
 $1,836,819
 $1,970,711
$495,612
 $592,883
 $1,606,599
 $1,836,819
Gross profit305,989
 309,425
 954,532
 946,943
277,940
 305,989
 876,088
 954,532
Adjusted EBITDA56,369
 46,607
 165,207
 144,680
49,997
 56,369
 143,473
 165,207
Free cash flow (1)
(73,483) 7,517
 (186,572) (179,420)891
 (73,483) (181,972) (186,572)
Operating Metrics
(1)
Prior period free cash flow information has been updatedGross billings is the total dollar value of customer purchases of goods and services. Gross billings is presented net of customer refunds, order discounts and sales and related taxes. The substantial majority of our service revenue transactions are comprised of sales of vouchers and similar transactions in which we collect the transaction price from $9.6 millionthe customer and negative $176.8 million previouslyremit a portion of the transaction price to the third-party merchant who will provide the related goods or services. For these transactions, gross billings differs from revenue reported in our condensed consolidated statements of operations, which is presented net of the merchant's share of the transaction price. For product revenue transactions, gross billings are equivalent to product revenue reported in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. Gross billings is an indicator of our growth and business performance as it measures the dollar volume of transactions generated through our marketplaces. Tracking gross billings on service revenue transactions also allows us to monitor the percentage of gross billings that we are able to retain after payments to merchants. However, management is primarily focused on optimizing the business for long-term gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA growth.
Active customers areunique user accounts that have made a purchase during the three and ninetrailing twelve months ended September 30, 2017, respectively,("TTM") either through one of our online marketplaces or directly with a merchant for which we earned a commission. We consider this metric to reflect the adoptionbe an important indicator of ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash, on January 1, 2018. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards, for additional information on the adoption of ASU 2016-18.our business performance as it helps us
Operating Metrics
Gross Billings. This metric represents the total dollar value of customer purchases of goods and services. For sales of vouchers and similar transactions in which we collect the transaction price from the customer and remit a portion of the transaction price to the third-party merchant who will provide the related goods or services, which comprise a substantial majority of our service revenue transactions, gross billings differs from revenue reported in our condensed consolidated statements of operations, which is presented net of the merchant's share of the transaction price. For product revenue transactions, gross billings are equivalent to product revenue reported in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. This metric is an indicator of our growth and business performance as it measures the dollar volume of transactions generated through our marketplaces. Tracking gross billings on service revenue transactions also allows us to monitor the percentage of gross billings that we are able to retain after payments to merchants. However, management is primarily focused on optimizing the business for long-term gross profit and adjusted EBITDA growth, rather than gross billings or revenue growth.
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Active customers. We define active customers as unique user accounts that have made a purchase during the trailing twelve months ("TTM") either through one of our online marketplaces or directly with a merchant for which we earned a commission. We consider this metric to be an important indicator of our business performance as it helps us
to understand how the number of customers actively purchasing our offerings is trending. Some customers could establish and make purchases from more than one account, so it is possible that our active customer metric may count certain customers more than once in a given period. For entities that we have acquired in a business combination, this metric includes active customers of the acquired entity, including customers who made purchases prior to the acquisition. We do not include consumers who solely make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications in our active customerscustomer metric, so the acquisitionnor do we include consumers who solely make purchases of Cloud Savings on April 30, 2018 did not impact that metric.
our inventory through third-party marketplaces with which we partner.
Our active customer metric for the trailing twelve monthsTTM ended September 30, 20182019 has declined both on a year-over-year basis and sequentially from the trailing twelve monthsTTM ended JuneSeptember 30, 2018. Those declines are2019. The decline is primarily attributable to declinesa decline in customer traffic, including traffic from email and search engine optimization ("SEO"), as well as our efforts to improve the efficiency of our marketing segmentation by focusing spend, on more engaged customers that we believewhich have led to have higher long-term value. That strategy has resulteda decrease in lower marketing spend on less engaged customers, particularly in North America, which has adversely impacted ourthe number of active customer metric.customers. We expect the trend of declining active customers in our North America segment to continue for the remainder of 2018in 2019 and, to some extent, into 2019.
Gross billings and gross profit per active customer. These metrics represent the TTM gross billings and gross profit generated per active customer. We use these metrics2020 due to evaluate trends in customer spend and in the average contribution to gross billings and gross profit on a per-customer basis. We updated the calculation of these metrics in the current year to reflect active customers as of the end of the period, rather than the average of active customers as of the beginning and end of the period, in the denominator of the calculations. Because our active customer metrics are based on purchases over a TTM period, we believe that this change improves the usefulness of these metrics. The prior period metrics presented below have been updated to reflect this change.ongoing traffic declines.
Gross billings and gross profit per active customer are the TTM gross billings and gross profit generated per active customer. We use these metrics to evaluate trends in customer spend and in the average contribution to gross billings and gross profit on a per-customer basis.
Units is the number of purchases during the reporting period, before refunds and cancellations, made either through one of our online marketplaces, a third-party marketplace, or directly with a merchant for which we earn a commission. We do not include purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications in our units metric. We consider unit growth to be an important indicator of the total volume of business conducted through our marketplaces.
Units. This metric represents the number of purchases during the reporting period, before refunds and cancellations, made either through one of our online marketplaces or directly with a merchant for which we


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earned a commission. We consider unit growth to be an important indicator of the total volume of business conducted through our marketplaces.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, ourOur total units sold declined by 10.6%9.4% and 9.3%, respectively, as compared to the prior year quarterly and year-to-date periods, reflecting unit declines in our North America segment, partially offset by unit growth in our International segment. The net decline in total units sold was attributable to the same factors that impacted gross billings for the quarterly and year-to-date periods, as discussed below under "Results of Operations."
Our gross billings11.1% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 as compared with the prior year, primarily reflecting unit declines in our North America segment. The decline in total units sold in the current year was primarily attributable to fewer customers and 2017lower customer traffic, including traffic from email and SEO. We expect sequential improvement in year-over-year unit trends in the remainder of 2019.
Our gross billings and units for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (in thousands)thousands, except gross billings per unit amounts):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Gross billings$1,216,229
 $1,341,497
 3,773,756
 4,063,706
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
Gross billings$1,093,378
 $1,216,229
 $3,390,331
 $3,773,756
Units35,754
 39,450
 108,270
 121,824
Gross billings per unit$30.58
 $30.83
 $31.31
 $30.98
Our active customers, gross billings per active customer and gross profit per active customer for the TTM ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 were as follows:
 Trailing Twelve Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017
TTM Active customers (in thousands)48,769
 49,140
TTM Gross billings per active customer (1)
$109.82
 $115.37
TTM Gross profit per active customer (1)
$27.51
 $26.43
(1)TTM Gross billings per active customer have been updated from $119.57 previously reported and TTM Gross profit per active customer has been updated from $27.35 previously reported for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2017 due to the change in the calculation discussed above.
Our units for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 2018 2017
Units39,450
 44,142
 121,824
 134,334
 Trailing Twelve Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018
TTM Active customers (in thousands)45,258
 48,769
TTM Gross billings per active customer$106.49
 $109.82
TTM Gross profit per active customer$27.45
 $27.51
Factors Affecting Our Performance
Attracting and Retaining Local Merchants. As we seek to continue to build a more complete online local commerce marketplace platform, we depend on our ability to attract and retain merchants who are willing to offer discounted products and services through our marketplaces. Additionally, merchants can generally withdraw their offerings from our marketplaces at any time and their willingness to continue offering products and services through our platform depends on the effectiveness of our marketing and promotional services. We primarily source the deal offerings available on our marketplaces through our sales teams, which comprise a significant portion of our global


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employee base. We have also entered into commercial agreements with third parties that enable us to feature additional merchant offerings through our marketplaces. We continue to focus much of our sales efforts on sourcing local deal offerings in subcategories that we believe provide us with the best opportunities for high frequency customer purchase behavior. In connection with our efforts to grow our offerings in those high frequency subcategories, which include health, beauty and wellness, events and activities, and food and drink, we may be willing to offer more attractive terms to local merchants that could reduce our deal margins in future periods.
Growing our Active Customer Base and Customer Value. We must acquire and retain customers that we expect to haveare focused on increasing the long-term value of our customer base and increaseincreasing gross profit per customer in order to grow our business. Our marketing spending is intendedWe continue to improve the customer experience on our websites and mobile applications in order to attract and retain active customerscustomers. Our efforts in these areas are focused on enhancing our products, deploying targeted marketing campaigns and expanding our supply. We expect our new products, such as voucherless offerings and Groupon Select, as well as other enhancements to the customer experience to improve engagement, promote increased purchase frequency. We have made enhancementsfrequency and drive customer retention. Within marketing, we are deploying strategies that allow us to leverage data to better segment our customer segmentation in recent periods that are intended to better focus our marketing efforts on customers that we believe have a greater potential for long-term gross profit generation. In addition tobase and personalize the overall Groupon experience. We use online


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marketing, such as search engine marketing ("SEM"), our marketing spending includes investments inand offline campaigns intended to increase customer awareness and understanding of the Grouponeducate customers on our brand and our product and service offerings. Additionally, we consider order discounts and certain other initiatives to drive customer acquisitionengagement and activationacquisition to be marketing-related activities, even though such activities may not be presented as marketing expensesexpense in our condensed consolidated statements of operations.
The organic traffic to our websites and mobile applications, including from consumers responding to our emails and SEO, has declined in recent years, such that an increasing proportion of our traffic is generated from SEM and other paid marketing channels. More recently, we have also experienced declines from other sources of organic traffic, such as search engine optimization ("SEO").years. As such, we are focused on developing sources of organic traffic other than email and SEO and optimizing the efficiency of our marketing spending, which is primarily guided by return on investment thresholds that are currently based on expected months-to-payback targets ranging from 12 to 18 months. Additionally, we are actively expanding and improving our product and supply initiatives are intendedin order to increase the ratesrate at which visitors to our websites and mobile applications complete a purchase.
Investing in Growth. We have invested significantly in product and technology enhancements intended to support the growth of our online marketplaces and we intend to continue to do so in the future. We have also invested in business acquisitions to grow our merchant and customer base and advance our product and technology capabilities. We are currently developing and testing a number of product enhancements intended to make our offerings easier to use for both customers and merchants and to improve purchase frequency, including voucherless cash back offers linked to customer credit cards, which we currently refer to as Groupon+,booking capabilities and functionality enabling appointment booking at the time an offering is purchased.Groupon Select. We believe that those initiatives may be important drivers for increasing customer purchase frequency and growing our business over time. We are currently focusing our efforts on growing customer awareness of those products and scaling the related merchant base. As such, our gross profit and operating income may be adversely impacted in the near term as we focus more ofon driving our marketing initiatives and related efforts on early stage voucherless cash back offerings.strategic initiatives. Additionally, many of our cash back offers linked to customer credit cards involve collecting a net fee from the merchant, rather than selling a voucher to the customer and then remitting a portion of the proceeds to the merchant. As we report sales of vouchers to customers as gross billings, the growth of voucherless cash back transactions in future periodswith this merchant payment structure could adversely impact our gross billings trends.
trends in future periods. Mobile consumers, particularly those accessing our marketplaces through the mobile web, generally complete purchases at a lower rate and at lower average transaction prices than consumers accessing our marketplaces through desktop computers. As a substantial majority of our traffic comes from consumers on mobile devices, we are focused on improving the mobile experience in order to increase purchase rates. Our initiatives to improve the mobile experience include improving page speeds, enhancing our relevance algorithms, streamlining the checkout process and redirectingbringing our mobile web consumersexperience to parity with that of our mobile applications.
Managing Operating Efficiency. We are focused on effectively managing our cost structure as we seek to generate and grow our profitability in future periods. As a result of numerous divestitures and other exits from countries in which we previously operated, which were completed from 2015 through 2017, we reduced the global footprint of our operations from 47 countries to 15 countries. Additionally, we significantly reduced our global workforce over that period as a result of our restructuring actions. ThoseOur prior restructuring actions and our continuing efforts to automate internal processes have allowed us to centralize many of our back office activities in lower cost shared service centers resulting in significant reductions in our selling, general and administrative expensesexpense in recent periods. We have primarily used those savings to invest in marketing, people and product enhancements intended to drive the long-term growth of our business. We intend to continue to focus on maintainingdriving operating efficiency.


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Results of Operations
Gross Billings
Gross billings is an operating metric that represents the total dollar value of customer purchases of products and services. Gross billings is presented net of customer refunds, order discounts and sales and related taxes. In our Goods category, we generate gross billings from product revenue transactions in which we sell merchandise inventory directly to customers, as well as service revenue transactions in which we sell products on behalf of third-party merchants.


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Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Gross billings by category and segment for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Gross billings:       
Service$912,560
 $1,009,489
 $(96,929) (9.6)%
Product303,669
 332,008
 (28,339) (8.5)
Total gross billings$1,216,229
 $1,341,497
 $(125,268) (9.3)
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross billings:       
Local$511,173
 $534,246
 $(23,073) (4.3)%
Goods21,300
 24,503
 (3,203) (13.1)
Travel71,144
 83,991
 (12,847) (15.3)
Total service gross billings603,617
 642,740
 (39,123) (6.1)
Product gross billings - Goods111,776
 159,854
 (48,078) (30.1)
Total North America gross billings715,393
 802,594
 (87,201) (10.9)
        
International       
Service gross billings:       
Local204,823
 209,623
 (4,800) (2.3)
Goods13,308
 14,041
 (733) (5.2)
Travel44,098
 46,156
 (2,058) (4.5)
Total service gross billings262,229
 269,820
 (7,591) (2.8)
Product gross billings - Goods115,756
 143,815
 (28,059) (19.5)
Total International gross billings377,985
 413,635
 (35,650) (8.6)
Total gross billings$1,093,378
 $1,216,229
 $(122,851) (10.1)
The effect on our gross billings for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross billings1,222,987
 (6,758) $1,216,229
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross billings$1,110,431
 $(17,053) $1,093,378
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.
Gross Billings by SegmentNorth America
Gross billings by category and segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross billings:       
Local$534,246
 $606,184
 $(71,938) (11.9)%
Goods24,503
 31,978
 (7,475) (23.4)
Travel83,991
 93,186
 (9,195) (9.9)
Product gross billings - Goods159,854
 197,501
 (37,647) (19.1)
Total North America gross billings802,594
 928,849
 (126,255) (13.6)
        
International       
Service gross billings:       
Local209,623
 202,991
 6,632
 3.3
Goods14,041
 25,313
 (11,272) (44.5)
Travel46,156
 49,837
 (3,681) (7.4)
Product gross billings - Goods143,815
 134,507
 9,308
 6.9
Total International gross billings413,635
 412,648
 987
 0.2
Total gross billings$1,216,229
 $1,341,497
 $(125,268) (9.3)


34




The percentages ofNorth America gross billings by segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018were 65.4% and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018Q3 2017
chart-dc2a200d205d5324880.jpgchart-420111d538e0521f8ee.jpg
North AmericaInternational
North America
North America66.0% of total gross billings for the three months ended September 30, 2018 decreased from the prior year, primarily reflecting decreases of $71.9 million in our Local category2019 and $45.1 million in our Goods category. Factors impacting2018. North America gross billings included the following:
Declines in customer traffic, primarily related to organic traffic sources;
A decrease in gross billings from our Goods category, which reflected our ongoing focus on optimizing for long-term gross profit generation, which has resulted in pricing and promotional decisions that have adversely impacted transaction volume;
We have shifted customer impressions from traditional voucher offerings with food and drink merchants towards Groupon+ voucherless cash back offerings as we seek to scale that product. While we believe that voucherless cash-back offerings have the potential to ultimately drive long-term gross profit growth, the shift away from traditional food and drink vouchers is adversely impacting our gross billings in the near term; and
We ceased most of our food delivery operations in the third quarter 2017, which resulted in an $11.6 million decrease in Local gross billings as compared to the prior year period.
The above drivers adversely impacted gross billings per active customer, which was $113.41decreased for the trailing twelvethree months ended September 30, 2018, as2019 compared to $122.38 inwith the corresponding prior year period. Additionally, theperiod due to fewer customers and lower customer traffic, including traffic from email and SEO. Those decreases were partially offset by higher gross billings per unit due to a shift in mix of offerings sold.
The above factors also resulted in a decline in total number of units sold, which decreased to 25.321.8 million units for the three months ended September 30, 2018,2019, as compared to 30.4with 25.3 million units in the prior year period.
Order discounts, which are presented as a reduction of

35


International
International gross billings were 34.6% and revenue, increased by $1.4 million to $33.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $32.4 million in the prior year period.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $14.2 million unfavorable impact on gross billings as a result34.0% of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.


35



International
Internationaltotal gross billings for the three months ended September 30, 2018 were substantially consistent2019 and 2018. International gross billings decreased $35.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared with the prior year period.
There wasperiod, primarily due to weak consumer sentiment in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, intense competition in our Goods business, a $6.6$17.0 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign currency rates for the three months ended September 30, 2018.
Order discounts, which are presented as a reduction ofand lower gross billings and revenue, increased by $1.8 millionper unit due to $12.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $11.0 milliona shift in the prior year period.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $0.9 million unfavorable impact on gross billings as a resultmix of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.offerings sold.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Gross billings by category and segment for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Gross billings:       
Service$2,823,600
 $3,012,879
 $(189,279) (6.3)%
Product950,156
 1,050,827
 (100,671) (9.6)
Total gross billings$3,773,756
 $4,063,706
 $(289,950) (7.1)
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross billings:       
Local$1,517,312
 $1,625,323
 $(108,011) (6.6)%
Goods60,833
 78,883
 (18,050) (22.9)
Travel247,256
 280,299
 (33,043) (11.8)
Total service gross billings1,825,401
 1,984,505
 (159,104) (8.0)
Product gross billings - Goods394,235
 511,451
 (117,216) (22.9)
Total North America gross billings2,219,636
 2,495,956
 (276,320) (11.1)
        
International       
Service gross billings:       
Local615,669
 630,178
 (14,509) (2.3)
Goods34,787
 56,473
 (21,686) (38.4)
Travel139,385
 152,444
 (13,059) (8.6)
Total service gross billings789,841
 839,095
 (49,254) (5.9)
Product gross billings - Goods380,854
 438,705
 (57,851) (13.2)
Total International gross billings1,170,695
 1,277,800
 (107,105) (8.4)
Total gross billings$3,390,331
 $3,773,756
 $(383,425) (10.2)
The effect on our gross billings for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross billings$3,700,360
 $73,396
 $3,773,756
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross billings$3,462,952
 $(72,621) $3,390,331
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.

North America

36



Gross Billings by Segment
Gross billings by category and segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross billings:       
Local$1,625,323
 $1,809,783
 $(184,460) (10.2)%
Goods78,883
 71,898
 6,985
 9.7
Travel280,299
 320,019
 (39,720) (12.4)
Product gross billings - Goods511,451
 666,093
 (154,642) (23.2)
Total North America gross billings2,495,956
 2,867,793
 (371,837) (13.0)
        
International       
Service gross billings:       
Local630,178
 583,618
 46,560
 8.0
Goods56,473
 78,582
 (22,109) (28.1)
Travel152,444
 148,979
 3,465
 2.3
Product gross billings - Goods438,705
 384,734
 53,971
 14.0
Total International gross billings1,277,800
 1,195,913
 81,887
 6.8
Total gross billings$3,773,756
 $4,063,706
 $(289,950) (7.1)

The percentages ofNorth America gross billings by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018were 65.5% and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018 YTDQ3 2017 YTD
chart-8fed230df23358e2a64.jpgchart-8e779d2748ed556e9d8.jpg
North AmericaInternational
North America
North America66.1% of total gross billings for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 decreased from the prior year, primarily reflecting decreases of $184.5 million in our Local category2019 and $147.7 million in our Goods category. Factors impacting2018. North America gross billings included the following:
A decrease in gross billings from our Goods category, which reflected our ongoing focus on optimizing for long-term gross profit generation, which has resulted in pricing and promotional decisions that have adversely impacted transaction volume;


37



We have shifted customer impressions from traditional voucher offerings with food and drink merchants toward Groupon+ voucherless cash back offerings as we seek to scale that product. While we believe that voucherless cash back offerings have the potential to ultimately drive long-term gross profit growth, the shift away from traditional food and drink vouchers is adversely impacting our gross billings in the near term;
Declines in customer traffic, primarily related to organic traffic sources; and
We ceased most of our food delivery operations in the third quarter 2017, which resulted in a $45.0 million decrease in Local gross billings as compared to the prior year period.
The above drivers adversely impacted gross billings per active customer, which was $113.41 for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $122.38 in the corresponding prior year period. Additionally, the total number of units sold decreased to 80.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 compared with the prior year period due to fewer customers and lower customer traffic, including traffic from email and SEO. Those decreases were partially offset by higher gross billings per unit due to a shift in mix of offerings sold.
The above factors also resulted in a decline in total units sold, which decreased to 66.8 million units for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, as compared to 93.2with 80.0 million units in the prior year period.
Order discounts, which are presented as a reduction of

36


International
International gross billings were 34.5%and revenue, decreased by $24.2 million to $105.1 million33.9% of total gross billings for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $129.32019 and 2018. International gross billings decreased $107.1 million in the prior year period.
For for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $20.5 million unfavorable impact on gross billings as a result of adopting Topic 606 as2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily due to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information onweak consumer sentiment in Europe, especially in the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
International gross billings increased during the nine months ended September 30, 2018, primarily reflecting increases of $46.6 million and $31.9 millionUnited Kingdom, intense competition in our Local and Goods categories, respectively. The increase in International gross billings was primarily driven bybusiness, a $73.1$72.3 million favorable unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign currency rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
Order discounts, which are presented as a reduction ofand lower gross billings and revenue, increased by $10.9 millionper unit due to $40.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $29.4 milliona shift in the prior year period.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $1.4 million unfavorable impact on gross billings as a resultmix of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.offerings sold.
Revenue
We earn product revenue from direct sales of merchandise inventory through our Goods category. Product revenue is reported on a gross basis as the purchase price received from the customer. Service revenue is earned from transactions in which we earn commissions by selling goods or services on behalf of third-party merchants, primarily through sales of vouchers and similar transactions in which we collect the transaction price from the customer and remit a portion of that transaction price to the third-party merchant who will provide the related goods or services. Service revenue from those transactions is reported on a net basis as the purchase price collected from the customer less the portion of the purchase price that is payable to the third-party merchant. Service revenue also includes commissions we earn when customers make purchases with retailers using digital coupons accessed through our websites and mobile applications and from voucherless merchant offerings in which customers earn cash back on their credit card statements when they transact with third-party merchants.


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Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Revenue by category and segment for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Revenue:       
Service$289,214
 $302,458
 $(13,244) (4.4)%
Product303,669
 332,008
 (28,339) (8.5)
Total revenue$592,883
 $634,466
 $(41,583) (6.6)
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service revenue:       
Local$175,140
 $180,059
 $(4,919) (2.7)%
Goods3,000
 4,021
 (1,021) (25.4)
Travel13,680
 17,217
 (3,537) (20.5)
Total service revenue191,820
 201,297
 (9,477) (4.7)
Product revenue - Goods111,776
 159,854
 (48,078) (30.1)
Total North America revenue303,596
 361,151
 (57,555) (15.9)
        
International       
Service revenue:       
Local65,440
 75,946
 (10,506) (13.8)
Goods2,817
 2,584
 233
 9.0
Travel8,003
 9,387
 (1,384) (14.7)
Total service revenue76,260
 87,917
 (11,657) (13.3)
Product revenue - Goods115,756
 143,815
 (28,059) (19.5)
Total International revenue192,016
 231,732
 (39,716) (17.1)
Total revenue$495,612
 $592,883
 $(97,271) (16.4)
The effect on revenue for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Revenue595,967
 (3,084) $592,883
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Revenue$504,315
 $(8,703) $495,612
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by category and segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in thousands):

 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service revenue:       
Local$180,059
 $194,090
 $(14,031) (7.2)%
Goods4,021
 4,323
 (302) (7.0)
Travel17,217
 18,300
 (1,083) (5.9)
Product revenue - Goods159,854
 197,501
 (37,647) (19.1)
Total North America revenue361,151
 414,214
 (53,063) (12.8)
        
International       
Service revenue:       
Local75,946
 71,574
 4,372
 6.1
Goods2,584
 4,370
 (1,786) (40.9)
Travel9,387
 9,801
 (414) (4.2)
Product revenue - Goods143,815
 134,507
 9,308
 6.9
Total International revenue231,732
 220,252
 11,480
 5.2
Total revenue$592,883
 $634,466
 (41,583) (6.6)


3937




The percentages of revenue by segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018Q3 2017

chart-2a7a0e9d524355e1a72.jpgchart-8a58ae83b106574a8a5.jpg
North AmericaInternational
The percentagespercentage of service gross billings that we retained after deducting the merchant's share for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and 2017 werewas as follows:
North America International
chart-8b6fc7b1fdd75c0e924.jpgchart-70940c1d530d511bb28.jpgchart-6dcfb0d5e4615865b74.jpgchart-3b51cc63230d576a97a.jpg
North America
The decrease in North America revenue was 61.3% and 60.9% of total revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 primarily reflects decreases of $14.02019 and 2018. North America revenue decreased$57.6 million and $37.9 million in our Local and Goods categories, respectively. The decreases were attributable to the decreases in Goods and Local gross billings, as discussed.
That decrease was partially offset by an increase in the percentage of gross billings that we retained after deducting the merchant’s share in service revenue transactions to 31.3% for the three months ended September 30, 2018, as2019 compared to 29.6% inwith the prior year period. The percentage ofperiod, primarily driven by the decline in transaction volume and gross billings that we retain after deducting the merchant's share reflects the overall results of individual deal-by-deal negotiations with merchantsas discussed above, and can vary significantly from period-to-period.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $2.0 million unfavorable impact on revenue as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.



40



International
The increase in International revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 primarily reflects increases of $4.4 million and $7.5 millionshift in our Local and Goods categories, respectively. The increases were primarily attributable to the following:
a decrease in the proportion of service revenue transactions in our Goods category which are reported on a net basis, with a corresponding increase in the proportion ofmix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis; and
an increase in the percentage of gross billings that we retained after deducting the merchant’s share inbasis, toward service revenue transactions, to 32.6%which are reported on a net basis.
International
International revenue was 38.7% and 39.1% of total revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to 30.8% in the prior year period. The percentage of gross billings that we retain after deducting the merchant's share reflects the overall results of individual deal-by-deal negotiations with merchants2019 and can vary significantly from period-to-period.
There was a $3.12018. International revenue decreased$39.7 million unfavorable impact on international revenue from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates for the three months ended September 30, 2018.2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily driven by lower gross billings as discussed above, a customer shift toward lower margin offerings, a shift in our category mix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis, toward service revenue transactions, which are reported on a net basis, and an $8.7 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $0.4 million favorable impact on revenue as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.

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Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Revenue by category and segment for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Revenue:       
Service$886,663
 $919,884
 $(33,221) (3.6)%
Product950,156
 1,050,827
 (100,671) (9.6)
Total revenue$1,836,819
 $1,970,711
 $(133,892) (6.8)
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service revenue:       
Local$532,599
 $553,340
 $(20,741) (3.7)%
Goods9,841
 12,691
 (2,850) (22.5)
Travel48,746
 57,189
 (8,443) (14.8)
Total service revenue591,186
 623,220
 (32,034) (5.1)
Product revenue - Goods394,235
 511,451
 (117,216) (22.9)
Total North America revenue985,421
 1,134,671
 (149,250) (13.2)
        
International       
Service revenue:       
Local208,625
 221,949
 (13,324) (6.0)
Goods6,882
 10,965
 (4,083) (37.2)
Travel24,817
 30,529
 (5,712) (18.7)
Total service revenue240,324
 263,443
 (23,119) (8.8)
Product revenue - Goods380,854
 438,705
 (57,851) (13.2)
Total International revenue621,178
 702,148
 (80,970) (11.5)
Total revenue$1,606,599
 $1,836,819
 $(230,220) (12.5)
The effect on revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Revenue$1,793,532
 $43,287
 $1,836,819
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Revenue$1,645,767
 $(39,168) $1,606,599
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.




4139



Revenue by Segment
Revenue by category and segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service revenue:       
Local$553,340
 $602,169
 $(48,829) (8.1)%
Goods12,691
 10,139
 2,552
 25.2
Travel57,189
 61,082
 (3,893) (6.4)
Product revenue - Goods511,451
 666,093
 (154,642) (23.2)
Total North America revenue1,134,671
 1,339,483
 (204,812) (15.3)
        
International       
Service revenue:       
Local221,949
 201,257
 20,692
 10.3
Goods10,965
 13,638
 (2,673) (19.6)
Travel30,529
 31,599
 (1,070) (3.4)
Product revenue - Goods438,705
 384,734
 53,971
 14.0
Total International revenue702,148
 631,228
 70,920
 11.2
Total revenue$1,836,819
 $1,970,711
 (133,892) (6.8)

The percentages of revenue by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018 YTDQ3 2017 YTD

chart-17479682a4035b4dbba.jpgchart-bbd3d8bf5aed569ebf4.jpg
North AmericaInternational


42



The percentagespercentage of service gross billings that we retained after deducting the merchant's share for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and 2017 werewas as follows:
North America International
chart-e3a34421a01356ac96e.jpgchart-a9d06d00fbfe5cf4ae1.jpgchart-390ebc7d1e045142b13.jpgchart-6a6c96592ed0599f934.jpg
North America
The decrease in North America revenue was 61.3% and 61.8% of total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2018. North America revenue decreased $149.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily reflects decreases of $48.8 milliondriven by the decline in transaction volume and $152.1 million in our Local and Goods categories, respectively. The decreases were attributable to the following:
decreases in Goods and Local gross billings as discussed above;above, and
an increase in the proportion of service revenue transactions a shift in our Goods category which are reported on a net basis, with a corresponding decrease in the proportion ofmix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis.
The above decreases were partially offset by an increase in the percentage of gross billings that we retained after deducting the merchant’s share inbasis, toward service revenue transactions, to 31.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to 30.6% in the prior year period. The percentage of gross billings that we retain after deducting the merchant's share reflects the overall results of individual deal-by-deal negotiations with merchants and can vary significantly from period-to-period.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there waswhich are reported on a $4.2 million unfavorable impact on revenue as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.net basis.
International
The increase in International revenue was 38.7% and 38.2% of total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 primarily reflects increases of $20.7 million2019 and $51.3 million in our Local and Goods categories, respectively. The increases were primarily attributable to the following:
a $43.2 million favorable impact on2018. International revenue from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange ratesdecreased$81.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018;
2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily driven by lower gross billings as discussed above, a decrease in the proportion of service revenue transactionscustomer shift toward lower margin offerings, a shift in our Goods category which are reported on a net basis, with a corresponding increase in the proportion ofmix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis; and
an increase in the percentage of gross billings that we retained after deducting the merchant’s share innet basis, toward service revenue transactions, to 31.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to 30.4%which are reported on a gross basis, and a $39.1 millionunfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in the prior year period. The percentage of gross billings that we retain after deducting the merchant's share reflects the overall results of individual deal-by-deal negotiations with merchants and can vary significantly from period-to-period.


43



For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $1.6 million unfavorable impact on revenue as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting the ASU and its related amendments on our accounting policies.foreign exchange rates.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue is comprised of direct and certain indirect costs incurred to generate revenue. Costs incurred to generate revenue which includeincluding credit card processing fees, editorial costs, compensation expense for technology support personnel who are responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of our websites, amortization of internal-use software relating to customer-facing applications, web hosting and other processing fees are attributed to the cost of product and service revenue in proportion to gross billings during the period.fees. For product revenue transactions, cost of revenue also includes the cost of inventory, shipping and fulfillment costs and inventory markdowns. Fulfillment costs are comprised of third-party logistics provider costs, as well as rent, depreciation, personnel costs and other costs of operating our fulfillment center. 


40


Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Cost of revenue by category and segment for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Cost of revenue:       
Service$29,792
 $41,858
 $(12,066) (28.8)%
Product257,102
 283,183
 (26,081) (9.2)
Total cost of revenue$286,894
 $325,041
 $(38,147) (11.7)
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local$20,108
 $20,680
 $(572) (2.8)%
Goods720
 387
 333
 86.0
Travel2,963
 3,416
 (453) (13.3)
Total service cost of revenue23,791
 24,483
 (692) (2.8)
Product cost of revenue - Goods87,730
 132,620
 (44,890) (33.8)
Total North America cost of revenue111,521
 157,103
 (45,582) (29.0)
        
International       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local4,257
 4,307
 (50) (1.2)
Goods228
 264
 (36) (13.6)
Travel671
 738
 (67) (9.1)
Total service cost of revenue5,156
 5,309
 (153) (2.9)
Product cost of revenue - Goods100,995
 124,482
 (23,487) (18.9)
Total International cost of revenue106,151
 129,791
 (23,640) (18.2)
Total cost of revenue$217,672
 $286,894
 $(69,222) (24.1)
The effect on cost of revenue for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Cost of revenue$288,363
 $(1,469) $286,894
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Cost of revenue$222,461
 $(4,789) $217,672
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.

North America
North America cost of revenue was 51.2% and 54.8% of total cost of revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. North America cost of revenue decreased$45.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily due to the decrease in transaction volume and gross billings as discussed above and a shift in our category mix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis, toward service revenue transactions, which are reported on a net basis.



4441




CostInternational
International cost of Revenue by Segmentrevenue was 48.8% and 45.2% of total cost of revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. International cost of revenue decreased$23.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily due to the decrease in gross billings as discussed above, a shift in our category mix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis, toward service revenue transactions, which are reported on a net basis, and a $4.8 millionfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018:
Cost of revenue by category and segment for the threenine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local$20,680
 $31,176
 $(10,496) (33.7)%
Goods387
 1,118
 (731) (65.4)
Travel3,416
 4,240
 (824) (19.4)
Product cost of revenue - Goods132,620
 169,772
 (37,152) (21.9)
Total North America cost of revenue157,103
 206,306
 (49,203) (23.8)
        
International       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local4,307
 3,714
 593
 16.0
Goods264
 731
 (467) (63.9)
Travel738
 879
 (141) (16.0)
Product cost of revenue - Goods124,482
 113,411
 11,071
 9.8
Total International cost of revenue129,791
 118,735
 11,056
 9.3
Total cost of revenue$286,894
 $325,041
 $(38,147) (11.7)
The percentages of cost of revenue by segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018Q3 2017

chart-55cf15d7870557e5ade.jpgchart-9e861dc88b5e562083f.jpg
North AmericaInternational


45



North America
The decrease in North America cost of revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was primarily attributable to the decrease in product revenue transactions as discussed above.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was an $8.6 million favorable impact on cost of revenue as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
The increase in International cost of revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was primarily attributable to the increase in product revenue transactions as discussed above, partially offset by a $1.5 million favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 and 2017:
Cost of revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Cost of revenue:       
Service$91,167
 $123,209
 $(32,042) (26.0)%
Product791,120
 900,559
 (109,439) (12.2)
Total cost of revenue$882,287
 $1,023,768
 $(141,481) (13.8)
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local$58,812
 $61,920
 $(3,108) (5.0)%
Goods2,003
 2,126
 (123) (5.8)
Travel9,955
 11,083
 (1,128) (10.2)
Total service cost of revenue70,770
 75,129
 (4,359) (5.8)
Product cost of revenue - Goods314,190
 416,443
 (102,253) (24.6)
Total North America cost of revenue384,960
 491,572
 (106,612) (21.7)
        
International       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local12,684
 12,735
 (51) (0.4)
Goods641
 993
 (352) (35.4)
Travel2,074
 2,310
 (236) (10.2)
Total service cost of revenue15,399
 16,038
 (639) (4.0)
Product cost of revenue - Goods330,152
 374,677
 (44,525) (11.9)
Total International cost of revenue345,551
 390,715
 (45,164) (11.6)
Total cost of revenue$730,511
 $882,287
 $(151,776) (17.2)
The effect on cost of revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Cost of revenue$856,544
 $25,743
 $882,287
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Cost of revenue$752,521
 $(22,010) $730,511
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.




4642




Cost of Revenue by SegmentNorth America
Cost of revenue by category and segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local$61,920
 $90,304
 $(28,384) (31.4)%
Goods2,126
 2,420
 (294) (12.1)
Travel11,083
 14,102
 (3,019) (21.4)
Product cost of revenue - Goods416,443
 569,952
 (153,509) (26.9)
Total North America cost of revenue491,572
 676,778
 (185,206) (27.4)
        
International       
Service cost of revenue:       
Local12,735
 11,900
 835
 7.0
Goods993
 1,838
 (845) (46.0)
Travel2,310
 2,645
 (335) (12.7)
Product cost of revenue - Goods374,677
 330,607
 44,070
 13.3
Total International cost of revenue390,715
 346,990
 43,725
 12.6
Total cost of revenue$882,287
 $1,023,768
 $(141,481) (13.8)
The percentages ofNorth America cost of revenue by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018was 52.7% and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018 YTDQ3 2017 YTD

chart-48ffd0e5eb3b54eb882.jpgchart-419366cefa0151b8969.jpg
North AmericaInternational


47



North America
The decrease in North America55.7% of total cost of revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was primarily attributable to the decrease in product2019 and 2018. North America cost of revenue transactions as discussed above.
Fordecreased$106.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily due to the decrease in transaction volume and gross billings as discussed above and a $21.9 million favorable impactshift in our category mix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis, toward service revenue transactions, which are reported on a net basis.
International
International cost of revenue as a resultwas47.3% and 44.3% of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
The increase in Internationaltotal cost of revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was2019 and 2018. International cost of revenue decreased$45.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared with the prior year period, primarily attributabledue to the decrease in gross billings as discussed above, a $25.7shift in our category mix from product revenue transactions, which are reported on a gross basis, toward service revenue transactions, which are reported on a net basis, and a $22.0 million unfavorablefavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates and the increase in product revenue transactions as discussed above.rates.
Gross Profit
Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Gross profit by category and segment for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Gross profit:       
Service$259,422
 $260,600
 $(1,178) (0.5)%
Product46,567
 48,825
 (2,258) (4.6)
Total gross profit$305,989
 $309,425
 $(3,436) (1.1)
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross profit:       
Local$155,032
 $159,379
 $(4,347) (2.7)%
Goods2,280
 3,634
 (1,354) (37.3)
Travel10,717
 13,801
 (3,084) (22.3)
Total service gross profit168,029
 176,814
 (8,785) (5.0)
Product gross profit - Goods24,046
 27,234
 (3,188) (11.7)
Total North America gross profit192,075
 204,048
 (11,973) (5.9)
     

  
International    

  
Service gross profit:    

  
Local61,183
 71,639
 (10,456) (14.6)
Goods2,589
 2,320
 269
 11.6
Travel7,332
 8,649
 (1,317) (15.2)
Total service gross profit71,104
 82,608
 (11,504) (13.9)
Product gross profit - Goods14,761
 19,333
 (4,572) (23.6)
Total International gross profit85,865
 101,941
 (16,076) (15.8)
Total gross profit$277,940
 $305,989
 $(28,049) (9.2)


43


The effect on gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross profit307,604
 (1,615) $305,989
 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross profit$281,854
 $(3,914) $277,940
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.

North America

48



Gross Profit by Segment
GrossNorth America gross profit by categorywas 69.1% and segment66.7% of total gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross profit:       
Local$159,379
 $162,914
 $(3,535) (2.2)%
Goods3,634
 3,205
 429
 13.4
Travel13,801
 14,060
 (259) (1.8)
Product gross profit - Goods27,234
 27,729
 (495) (1.8)
Total North America gross profit204,048
 207,908
 (3,860) (1.9)
     

  
International    

  
Service gross profit:    

  
Local71,639
 67,860
 3,779
 5.6
Goods2,320
 3,639
 (1,319) (36.2)
Travel8,649
 8,922
 (273) (3.1)
Product gross profit - Goods19,333
 21,096
 (1,763) (8.4)
Total International gross profit101,941
 101,517
 424
 0.4
Total gross profit$305,989
 $309,425
 $(3,436) (1.1)
2018. The percentages of gross profit by segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018Q3 2017

chart-8d1a53d24b4959e1b5c.jpgchart-b7d9a468aa0f55c5ba7.jpg
North AmericaInternational
North America
The decrease in North America gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 compared with the prior year period reflects a $3.5 million decreasedecline in transaction volume and gross billings as discussed above.
International
International gross profit from our Local category, which was attributable to the decrease in revenue, as discussed above.


49



Gross30.9% and 33.3% of total gross profit from product revenue transactions in our Goods category decreased by 1.8%, as compared to the 19.1% decrease in revenue from those transactions. That difference was attributable to higher gross margins on product revenue transactions, which were 17.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to 14.0% in the prior year period.2019 and 2018. The margin improvement primarily resulted from our ongoing efforts to reduce our shipping and fulfillment costs and from pricing and promotional decisions intended to optimize for gross profit.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $6.6 million favorable impact on gross profit as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. That favorable impact was primarily driven by the change in the timing of recognition of variable consideration from redeemed vouchers. As a result of our increased use of pay-on-redemption terms with merchants in North America beginning in the third quarter 2017, we expect that the change to recognizing estimated variable consideration at the time of sale under Topic 606 will drive continued favorability in North America gross profit during the remainder of 2018, as compared to the gross profit that would have been reported in the current year under the previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
The increasedecrease in International gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 2018 reflects a $3.8 million increase in gross profit from our Local category, which2019 compared with the prior year period was primarily attributable to the increase in revenuelower gross billings as discussed above, partially offset by a $3.1customer shift toward lower margin offerings and a $3.9 million decrease in our Goods category. For the three months ended September 30, 2018 there was a $1.6 million unfavorable impact on International gross profitimpact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $0.4 million favorable impact on gross profit as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. Our International segment continues to primarily use pay-on-redemption terms with merchants and the impact of the change to recognizing variable consideration at the time of sale under Topic 606 could be favorable or unfavorable from period to period for that segment based on seasonal revenue levels, particularly in our Local category, and changes in redemption rates. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Gross profit by category and segment for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Gross profit:       
Service$795,496
 $796,675
 $(1,179) (0.1)%
Product159,036
 150,268
 8,768
 5.8
Total gross profit$954,532
 $946,943
 $7,589
 0.8
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross profit:       
Local$473,787
 $491,420
 $(17,633) (3.6)%
Goods7,838
 10,565
 (2,727) (25.8)
Travel38,791
 46,106
 (7,315) (15.9)
Total service gross profit520,416
 548,091
 (27,675) (5.0)
Product gross profit - Goods80,045
 95,008
 (14,963) (15.7)
Total North America gross profit600,461
 643,099
 (42,638) (6.6)
        
International       
Service gross profit:       
Local195,941
 209,214
 (13,273) (6.3)
Goods6,241
 9,972
 (3,731) (37.4)
Travel22,743
 28,219
 (5,476) (19.4)
Total service gross profit224,925
 247,405
 (22,480) (9.1)
Product gross profit - Goods50,702
 64,028
 (13,326) (20.8)
Total International gross profit275,627
 311,433
 (35,806) (11.5)
Total gross profit$876,088
 $954,532
 $(78,444) (8.2)


44


The effect on gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar was as follows (in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
At Avg. Q3 2017 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross profit936,988
 17,544
 $954,532
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
At Avg. Q3 2018 YTD Rates (1)
 
Exchange Rate Effect (2)
 As Reported
Gross profit$893,246
 $(17,158) $876,088
(1)Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
(2)Represents the increase or decrease in the reported amount resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the prior year period.

North America

50



Gross Profit by Segment
GrossNorth America gross profit by categorywas 68.5% and segment67.4% of total gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
North America       
Service gross profit:       
Local$491,420
 $511,865
 $(20,445) (4.0)%
Goods10,565
 7,719
 2,846
 36.9
Travel46,106
 46,980
 (874) (1.9)
Product gross profit - Goods95,008
 96,141
 (1,133) (1.2)
Total North America gross profit643,099
 662,705
 (19,606) (3.0)
        
International       
Service gross profit:       
Local209,214
 189,357
 19,857
 10.5
Goods9,972
 11,800
 (1,828) (15.5)
Travel28,219
 28,954
 (735) (2.5)
Product gross profit - Goods64,028
 54,127
 9,901
 18.3
Total International gross profit311,433
 284,238
 27,195
 9.6
Total gross profit$954,532
 $946,943
 $7,589
 0.8
2018. The percentages of gross profit by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018 YTDQ3 2017 YTD

chart-27d1fa9bfb7a5286a4d.jpgchart-ff9dd0af08ee542ea60.jpg
North AmericaInternational
North America
The decrease in North America gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 compared with the prior year period reflects a $20.4 million decreasedecline in transaction volume and gross billings from our Local category, which was attributable to the decrease in revenue, as discussed above.

International

51



GrossInternational gross profit from product revenue transactions in our Goods category decreased by 1.2%, as compared to the 23.2% decrease in revenue from those transactions. That difference was attributable to higher31.5% and 32.6% of total gross margins on product revenue transactions, which were 18.6%profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to 14.4% in the prior year period.2019 and 2018. The margin improvement primarily resulted from our ongoing efforts to reduce our shipping and fulfillment costs and from pricing and promotional decisions intended to optimize for gross profit.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $17.7 million favorable impact on gross profit as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. That favorable impact primarily reflected $16.3 million related to the change in the timing of recognition of variable consideration from unredeemed vouchers. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
The increasedecrease in International gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 compared with the prior year period was primarily attributable to the following:
lower gross billings as discussed above, a $17.5customer shift toward lower margin offerings and a $17.1 million favorableunfavorable impact on International gross profit from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2018; and
our ongoing efforts to de-emphasize lower margin product offerings in our Goods category and to reduce our shipping and fulfillment costs.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $1.6 million unfavorable impact on gross profit as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.rates.
Marketing
Marketing expense consists primarily of online marketing costs, such as search engine marketing, advertising on social networking sites and affiliate programs, and offline marketing costs, such as television and radio advertising. Additionally, compensation expense for marketing employees is classified within marketing expense. We record these costs within Marketing on the condensed consolidated statements of operations when incurred. From time to time, we offer deals with well-known national merchants for customer acquisition and activation purposes, for which the amount we owe the merchant for each voucher sold exceeds the transaction price paid by the customer. Our gross billings from those transactions generate no service revenue and our net cost (i.e., the excess of the amount owed to the merchant over the amount paid by the customer) is classified as marketing expense. We evaluate marketing expense as a percentage of gross profit because it gives us an indication of how well our marketing spend is driving gross profit performance.
Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Marketing expense by segment as a percentage of gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 % of Gross Profit 2017 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Marketing:           
North America$60,296
 29.5% $75,088
 36.1% $(14,792) (19.7)%
International32,421
 31.8
 26,368
 26.0
 6,053
 23.0
Total marketing$92,717
 30.3
 $101,456
 32.8
 $(8,739) (8.6)


52



Marketing by Segment
The percentages of marketing expense by segment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018Q3 2017
chart-c257d90af1e85c948be.jpgchart-87072aaea765539ba31.jpg
North AmericaInternational
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 % of Gross Profit 2018 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Marketing:           
North America$45,223
 23.5% $60,296
 29.5% $(15,073) (25.0)%
International29,753
 34.7
 32,421
 31.8
 (2,668) (8.2)
Total marketing$74,976
 27.0
 $92,717
 30.3
 $(17,741) (19.1)
North America
North America segment marketing expense was 60.3% and 65.0% of total marketing expense for the three months ended September 30, 2018 decreased from the prior year period, which was primarily attributable to a decrease in offline2019 and mobile marketing spend. Marketing expense as a percentage of gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 2018 decreased from the prior year period because we shifted a greater proportion of our global marketing spend to our International segment in the current year period.
International
International segment2018. North America marketing expense and marketing expense as a percentage of gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 2018 increased2019 decreased from the prior year period whichas we leveraged improved marketing analytics to drive efficiency in our marketing spend and maximize the lifetime value


45


of our customer base. We also decreased our offline marketing spend as we are currently in the process of adapting our brand strategy to better support our evolving marketplace.
International
International segment marketing expense was 39.7% and 35.0% of total marketing expense for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. The decrease in International marketing expense for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared with the prior year period was primarily attributable to our ongoing investmentsa $1.2 millionfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in marketing activities to drive customer growth in our international markets.foreign exchange rates.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Marketing expense by segment as a percentage of gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 % of Gross Profit 2017 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Marketing:           
North America$198,149
 30.8% $217,092
 32.8% $(18,943) (8.7)%
International87,902
 28.2
 71,364
 25.1
 16,538
 23.2
Total marketing$286,051
 30.0
 $288,456
 30.5
 $(2,405) (0.8)


53



Marketing by Segment
The percentages of marketing expense by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
Q3 2018 YTDQ3 2017 YTD
chart-6cf7497eb57c5cecac0.jpgchart-7bd04e1a333259bf8d7.jpg
North AmericaInternational
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 % of Gross Profit 2018 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Marketing:           
North America$162,132
 27.0% $198,149
 30.8% $(36,017) (18.2)%
International95,164
 34.5
 87,902
 28.2
 7,262
 8.3
Total marketing$257,296
 29.4
 $286,051
 30.0
 $(28,755) (10.1)
North America
North America segment marketing expense was 63.0% and 69.3% of total marketing expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 decreased from the prior year period, which was primarily attributable to a decrease in offline marketing spend. Marketing expense as a percentage of gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 decreased from the prior year period because we shifted a greater proportion of our global marketing spend to our International segment in the current year period.
International
International segment2019 and 2018. North America marketing expense and marketing expense as a percentage of gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 increased2019 decreased from the prior year period whichas we leveraged improved marketing analytics to drive efficiency in our marketing spend and maximize the lifetime value of our customer base. We also decreased our offline marketing spend as we are currently in the process of adapting our brand strategy to better support our evolving marketplace.
International
International segment marketing expense was primarily attributable37.0% and 30.7% of total marketing expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. International marketing expense and marketing expense as a percentage of gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 increased from the prior year period as we continued to our ongoing investmentsinvest in the long-term potential of the International segment. The increase in marketing activities to drive customer growth in our international markets andexpense was partially offset by a $5.2$5.5 million unfavorablefavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates.
Selling, General, and Administrative
Selling expenses reported within Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") on the condensed consolidated statements of operations consist of sales commissions and other compensation expenses for sales representatives, as well as costs associated with supporting the sales function such as technology, telecommunications and travel. General and administrative expenses include compensation expense for employees involved in customer service, operations, technology and product development, as well as general corporate functions, such as finance, legal and human resources. Additional costs included in general and administrative include depreciation and amortization, rent, professional fees, litigation costs, travel and entertainment, recruiting, office supplies, maintenance, certain technology costs and other general corporate costs. We evaluate SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit because it gives us an indication of our operating efficiency.


46


Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
SG&A as a percentage of gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 % of Gross Profit 2017 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Selling, general and administrative$160,214
 52.4% $214,828
 69.4% $(54,614) (25.4)%


54



 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 % of Gross Profit 2018 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Selling, general and administrative$198,327
 71.4% $160,249
 52.4% $38,078
 23.8%
The decreaseincrease in SG&A and SG&A as a percentage of gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 as compared towith the prior year period was primarily attributable to the following:
a $40.4 million benefit recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2018 related to the settlement of our patent litigation case with IBM, as described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies;partially offset by the following:
a $3.9 millionfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign currency exchange rates; and
a $6.2 million decreasedecreases in compensation-related costs, including variable compensation; and
decreases in facilities costs and other general expenses.
There was a $1.3 million favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign currency exchange rates for the three months ended September 30, 2018.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
SG&A as a percentage of gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 % of Gross Profit 2017 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Selling, general and administrative$676,399
 70.9% $677,109
 71.5% $(710) (0.1)%
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 % of Gross Profit 2018 % of Gross Profit $ Change % Change
Selling, general and administrative$619,099
 70.7% $676,318
 70.9% $(57,219) (8.5)%
The decrease in SG&A and SG&A as a percentage of gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was substantially consistent2019 as compared with the prior year period which reflectswas attributable to the net impact of:following:
a $16.3 million decrease in compensation-related costs, including variable compensation; and
decreases in facilities costs, systems costs, and other general expenses, offset by the year-to-date expense related to our patent litigation with IBM. As described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, we recognized a $75.0 million charge recorded in the second quarter 2018 as a result of a jury award andrelated to a patent litigation case with IBM. That charge was subsequently reduced that charge by $40.4 million in the third quarter 2018 upon execution of settlement and license agreements with IBM.IBM;
There was a $12.7 million unfavorable
a $15.1 millionfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign currency exchange rates; and
decreases in foreign currency exchange rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
Restructuring Charges
Restructuring charges represent severance and benefitcompensation-related costs, for workforce reductionsfacilities costs, system costs and other exit costs resulting from our restructuring activities. See Note 12, Restructuring, for information about our restructuring plan.
Gain on Sale of Intangible Assets
During the third quarter 2017, we sold customer lists and other intangible assets in certain food delivery markets to Grubhub, Inc., resulting in a pretax gain of $17.1 million. See Note 5, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for additional information.general expenses.
Income (Loss) from Operations
Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:


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2018:
Income (loss) from operations by segment for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 $ Change % Change2019 2018 $ Change % Change
Income (loss) from operations              
North America$51,004
 $(6,995) $57,999
 829.1 %$15,691
 $51,004
 $(35,313) (69.2)%
International2,019
 5,782
 (3,763) (65.1)(11,054) 2,019
 (13,073) (647.5)
Total income (loss) from operations$53,023
 $(1,213) $54,236
 4,471.2
$4,637
 $53,023
 $(48,386) (91.3)
North America
The increase in our income from operations was primarily attributable to a $40.4 million benefit recognized upon settlement of our patent litigation with IBM during the third quarter 2018, as described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, a $16.9 million decrease in other SG&A costs, including compensation-related and facilities-related costs, a $14.8 million decrease in marketing expense and a $7.0 million decrease in restructuring costs, partially offset by a $17.1 million decrease in gains from the sale of intangible assets and a $3.9 million decrease in gross profit.
Income (loss) from operations includes stock-based compensation of $13.8 million and $16.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $6.4 million favorable impact on income (loss) from operations as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
The decrease in our income from operations was primarily attributable to a $6.1$38.4 millionincrease in SG&A and a $12.0 million decrease in gross profit, partially offset by a $15.1 milliondecrease in marketing expense.


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International
The decrease in our income from operations was primarily attributable to a $16.1 million decrease in gross profit, partially offset by a $2.7 milliondecrease in marketing expense and a $2.6$0.3 million increasedecrease in SG&A, partially offset by a $4.5 million decrease in restructuring costs and a $0.4 million increase in gross profit.
Income (loss) from operations includes stock-based compensation of $1.2 million and $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $1.7 million favorable impact on income (loss) from operations as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.&A.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Income (loss) from operations by segment for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Income (loss) from operations       
North America$(19,380) $(33,811) $14,431
 42.7 %
International11,543
 13,520
 (1,977) (14.6)
Total income (loss) from operations$(7,837) $(20,291) $12,454
 61.4


56



 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
Income (loss) from operations       
North America$20,655
 $(19,380) $40,035
 206.6 %
International(20,962) 11,543
 (32,505) (281.6)
Total income (loss) from operations$(307) $(7,837) $7,530
 96.1
North America
The decrease in our loss from operations was attributable to a $21.0 million decrease in SG&A costs, an $18.9 million decrease in marketing expense and an $11.7 million decrease in restructuring costs, partially offset by a $19.6 million decrease in gross profit and a $17.1 million decrease in gains from the sale of intangible assets. The decrease in SG&A costs includes decreases in compensation-related and facilities-related costs, partially offset by the year-to-date expense related to our patent litigation with IBM. As described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, we recognized a $75.0 million charge in the second quarter 2018 as a result of a jury award and subsequently reduced that charge by $40.4 million in the third quarter 2018 upon execution of settlement and license agreements with IBM.
Income (loss) from operations includes stock-based compensation of $46.7 million and $55.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $16.3 million favorable impact on income (loss) from operations as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.
International
The decreaseincrease in our income from operations was primarily attributable to a $19.7$46.7 million increasedecrease in SG&A and a $16.5$36.0 million increasedecrease in marketing expense, partially offset by a $27.2$42.6 milliondecrease in gross profit.
International
The decrease in our income from operations was primarily attributable to a $7.3 millionincrease in marketing expense and a $35.8 milliondecrease in gross profit, andpartially offset by a $7.0$10.6 milliondecrease in restructuring costs.
Income (loss) from operations includes stock-based compensation of $3.9 million and $4.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there was a $2.1 million favorable impact on income (loss) from operations as a result of adopting Topic 606 as compared to previous accounting guidance. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Policies, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition, for additional information on the impact of adopting Topic 606 and its related amendments on our accounting policies.SG&A.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net includes interest income, interest expense, gains and losses on fair value option investments, impairments of investments and foreign currency gains and losses, primarily resulting from intercompany balances with our subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies.
Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Other income (expense), net for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Other income (expense), net$(4,860) $7,546
 $(12,406) (164.4)%
 Three Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
Other income (expense), net$(17,253) $(4,860) $(12,393) (255.0)%
Other income (expense), net for the three months ended September 30, 2019 primarily consisted of the following:
$6.0 million of interest expense primarily related to interest on our convertible notes. See Item 1, Note 5, Financing Arrangements, for additional information; and
$12.8 million in foreign currency losses, which primarily resulted from intercompany balances with our subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies.
Those items were partially offset by $2.0 million in interest income.


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Other income (expense), net for the three months ended September 30, 2018 primarily consisted of the following:
$5.7 million of interest expense;
$5.7 million of interest expense primarily related to interest on our convertible notes. See Item 1, Note 5, Financing Arrangements, for additional information; and
$1.0 million in foreign currency losses, which primarily resulted from intercompany balances with our subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies.
Those items were partially offset by $1.5 million in interest income.


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Other income (expense), net for the three months ended September 30, 2017 primarily consisted of $8.2 million in foreign currency gains and a $7.6 million gain on the sale of a minority investment, partially offset by $5.2 million of interest expense and a $4.0 million of losses on the fair value option investments.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Other income (expense), net for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2018 2017 $ Change % Change
Other income (expense), net$(39,832) $8,822
 $(48,654) (551.5)%
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 $ Change % Change
Other income (expense), net$(92,602) $(39,832) $(52,770) (132.5)%
Other income (expense), net for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 primarily consisted of the following:
$69.0 million of net losses on our fair value option investments. See Item 1, Note 3, Investments, for additional information;
$17.2 million of interest expense primarily related to interest on our convertible notes. See Item 1, Note 5, Financing Arrangements, for additional information; and
$11.9 million in foreign currency losses, which primarily resulted from intercompany balances with our subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies.
Those items were partially offset by $5.8 million in interest income.
Other income (expense), net for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 primarily consisted of the following:
$16.4 million of interest expense;
$16.4 million of interest expense primarily related to interest on our convertible notes. See Item 1, Note 5, Financing Arrangements, for additional information;
$12.2 million in foreign currency losses, which primarily resulted from intercompany balances with our subsidiaries that are denominated in foreign currencies. The foreign currency losses on those intercompany balances were primarily driven by the decline of the Euro against the U.S. dollar from an exchange rate of 1.1996 on December 31, 2017 to 1.1607 on September 30, 2018;currencies;
$10.2 million of impairments of minority investments. See Note 6, Investments, for additional information; and
$8.3 million of losses on fair value option investments. See Note 6, Investments, for additional information.
$10.2 million of impairments of minority investments. See Item 1, Note 3, Investments, for additional information; and
$8.3 million of losses on fair value option investments. See Item 1, Note 3, Investments, for additional information.
Those items were partially offset by $4.9 million in interest income and a $2.4 million gain on an embedded derivative related to an available-for-sale security.
Other income (expense), net for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 primarily consisted of $19.1 million in foreign currency gains and a $7.6 million gain on the sale of a minority investment, partially offset by $15.4 million of interest expense and $5.1 million of losses on fair value option investments.
Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes
Three Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Provision (benefit) for income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 $ Change % Change2019 2018 $ Change % Change
Provision (benefit) for income taxes$988
 $2,531
 $(1,543) (61.0)%$2,069
 $988
 $1,081
 109.4%
Effective tax rate2.1% 40.0%    (16.4)% 2.1%    


49


Our U.S. Federalfederal income tax rate is 21% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and was 35% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.. The primary factor impacting the effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was the pretax losses incurred in jurisdictions that have valuation allowances against their net deferred tax assets. We expect that our consolidated effective tax rate in future periods will continue to differ significantly from the U.S. federal income tax rate as a result of our tax obligations in jurisdictions with profits and valuation allowances in jurisdictions with losses.


58



We are currently undergoing income See Item 1, Note 10, Income Taxes, for additional information relating to tax audits in multiple jurisdictions. It is likelyand assessments and regulatory and legal developments that the examination phasemay impact our business and results of some of those audits will concludeoperations in the next 12 months. There are many factors, including factors outside of our control, which influence the progress of and completion of those audits. During the fourth quarter 2017, we received an income tax assessment and a notification of proposed assessment from the tax authorities in two foreign jurisdictions, totaling $133.6 million in the aggregate. We believe that the assessments, which primarily relate to transfer pricing on transactions occurring from 2011 to 2014, are without merit and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves in those matters. In addition to any potential increases in our liabilities for uncertain tax positions from the ultimate resolution of those assessments, we believe that it is reasonably possible that reductions of up to $41.6 million in unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the 12 months following September 30, 2018 upon closing of income tax audits or the expiration of applicable statutes of limitations.
The Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017. Pursuant to the guidance in SAB 118, we previously made provisional estimates for the impact of the Jobs Act as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 related to the re-measurement of deferred income taxes, valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, and our assessment of permanently reinvested earnings. Additionally, while we did not expect to incur the deemed repatriation tax established by the Jobs Act due to the aggregate cumulative losses of our foreign operations, we had not previously finalized the related calculations. As of September 30, 2018, we have substantially completed our accounting and measurement analyses related to the income tax effects of the Jobs Act and no significant adjustments to the provisional amounts were recorded during the three and nine months then ended.
On July 24, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Altera Corp. v. Commissioner requiring related parties in an intercompany cost-sharing arrangement to share expenses related to stock-based compensation. This opinion reversed an earlier decision of the United States Tax Court. On August 7, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals withdrew its July 24, 2018 opinion. We are continuing to monitor the status of the case; however, we currently do not expect that it will have a material impact on our provision for income taxes for the year ending December 31, 2018 due to the valuation allowances against our net deferred tax assets in the related jurisdictions. future.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017:2018:
Provision (benefit) for income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
Nine Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 $ Change % Change2019 2018 $ Change % Change
Provision (benefit) for income taxes$205
 $11,001
 $(10,796) (98.1)%$591
 $205
 $386
 188.3%
Effective tax rate(0.4)% (95.9)%    (0.6)% (0.4)%    
Our U.S. Federalfederal income tax rate is 21%. The primary factor impacting the effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 201830, 2019 and 20172018 was the pretax losses incurred in jurisdictions that have valuation allowances against their net deferred tax assets. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 also reflected the reversal of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the closure of a tax audit. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 also reflected a $6.4 million income tax benefit resulting from the impact of adopting Topic 606 on intercompany activity in certain foreign jurisdictions.
We expect that our consolidated effective tax rate in future periods will continue to differ significantly from the U.S. federal income tax rate as a result of our tax obligations in jurisdictions with profits and valuation allowances in jurisdictions with losses. See Item 1, Note 10, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations
From November 2016 through March 2017, we exited our operations in 11 non-core countries and their results have been presented as discontinued operations. See Note 3, Discontinued Operations and Other Business DispositionsTaxes, for additional information aboutrelating to tax audits and assessments and regulatory and legal developments that may impact our business and results of operations in the dispositions and see Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, for information about indemnification obligations related to discontinued operations.future.


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Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to financial results reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we have provided the following non-GAAP financial measures: Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and foreign currency exchange rate neutral operating results. Those non-GAAP financial measures, which are presented on a continuing operations basis, are intended to aid investors in better understanding our current financial performance and prospects for the future as seen through the eyes of management. We believe that those non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons with our historical results and with the results of peer companies who present similar measures (although other companies may define non-GAAP measures differently than we define them, even when similar terms are used to identify such measures). However, those non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be a substitute for those reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.


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Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure that we define as net income (loss) from continuing operations excluding income taxes, interest and other non-operating items, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, acquisition-related expense (benefit), net and other special charges and credits, including items that are unusual in nature or infrequently occurring. Our definition of Adjusted EBITDA may differ from similar measures used by other companies, even when similar terms are used to identify such measures. Adjusted EBITDA is a key measure used by our management and Board of Directors to evaluate operating performance, generate future operating plans and make strategic decisions for the allocation of capital. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and Board of Directors. However, Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a substitute for income (loss) from continuing operations.
We exclude stock-based compensation expense and depreciation and amortization because they are primarily non-cash in nature and we believe that non-GAAP financial measures excluding those items provide meaningful supplemental information about our operating performance and liquidity. Acquisition-related expense (benefit), net is comprised of the change in the fair value of contingent consideration arrangements and external transaction costs related to business combinations, primarily consisting of legal and advisory fees. The composition of our contingent consideration arrangements and the impact of those arrangements on our operating results vary over time based on a number of factors, including the terms of our business combinations and the timing of those transactions. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017,2018, special charges and credits included charges related to our restructuring plan. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, special charges and credits also included a $40.4 million credit and a $34.6 million charge respectively, related to our patent litigation with IBM as described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, special charges and credits also included a $17.1 million credit related to the sale of intangible assets, as described in Note 5, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.IBM. We exclude special charges and credits from Adjusted EBITDA because we believe that excluding those items provides meaningful supplemental information about our core operating performance and facilitates comparisons with our historical results.
The following is a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, Income (loss) from continuing operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Income (loss) from continuing operations$47,175
 $3,802
 $(47,874) $(22,470)$(14,685) $47,175
 $(93,500) $(47,874)
Adjustments:

 

      

    
Stock-based compensation (1)
15,026
 18,235
 50,570
 59,277
19,543
 15,026
 62,517
 50,570
Depreciation and amortization28,685
 35,231
 87,300
 103,977
25,873
 28,685
 81,405
 87,300
Acquisition-related expense (benefit), net
 
 655
 48
5
 
 33
 655
Restructuring charges (1)
35
 11,503
 (81) 18,818
(61) 35
 (175) (81)
IBM patent litigation(40,400) 
 34,600
 

 (40,400) 
 34,600
Gain on sale of intangible assets
 (17,149) 
 (17,149)
Other (income) expense, net (1)
4,860
 (7,546) 39,832
 (8,822)
Other (income) expense, net17,253
 4,860
 92,602
 39,832
Provision (benefit) for income taxes988
 2,531
 205
 11,001
2,069
 988
 591
 205
Total adjustments9,194
 42,805
 213,081
 167,150
64,682
 9,194
 236,973
 213,081
Adjusted EBITDA$56,369
 $46,607
 $165,207
 $144,680
$49,997
 $56,369
 $143,473
 $165,207
(1)Represents stock-based compensation expense recorded within Selling, general and administrative, Cost of revenue and Marketing. Restructuring charges includes $0.8 million of additional stock-based compensation for the three and nine months ended September, 30 2017. Other income (expense), net includes $0.1 million of additional stock-based compensation for the three months ended September 30, 2017. Other income (expense), net includes $0.1 million and $0.2 million of additional stock-based compensation for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.




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Free cash flow. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP liquidity measure that comprises net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software from continuing operations.software. We use free cash flow to conduct and evaluate our business because, although it is similar to cash flow from continuing operations, we believe that it typically represents a more useful measure of cash flows because purchases of fixed assets, software developed for internal use and website development costs are necessary components of our ongoing operations. Free cash flow is not intended to represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance for the applicable period.
Free cash flow has limitations due to the fact that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. For example, free cash flow does not include cash payments for business acquisitions. In addition, free cash flow reflects the impact of the timing difference between when we are paid by customers and when we pay merchants and suppliers. Therefore, we believe it is important to view free cash flow as a complement to our entire condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. For a reconciliation of free cash flow to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, see Liquidity and Capital Resources below.
Foreign currency exchange rate neutral operating results. Foreign currency exchange rate neutral operating results show current period operating results as if foreign currency exchange rates had remained the same as those in effect in the prior year period. Those measures are intended to facilitate comparisons to our historical performance. For a reconciliation of foreign currency exchange rate neutral operating results to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, see Results of Operations above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows from operations, cash balances, which totaled $572.4$567.3 million as of September 30, 2018,2019, and available borrowing capacity under our Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement.
Our net cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities from continuing operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 were as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Cash provided by (used in):              
Operating activities (1)
$(57,389) $21,772
 $(132,961) $(135,704)$18,584
 $(57,389) $(130,118) $(132,961)
Investing activities(22,389) 18,230
 (118,485) (9,572)(19,541) (22,389) (54,891) (118,485)
Financing activities(9,720) (27,972) (49,348) (121,622)(22,595) (9,720) (81,953) (49,348)
(1)
Prior period net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations has been updated from $23.9 million and negative $133.1 million previously reported for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, to reflect the adoption of ASU 2016-18 on January 1, 2018. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards, for additional information on the adoption of ASU 2016-18.
Free cash flow is a non-GAAP liquidity measure that comprises net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations, less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software from continuing operations. Our free cash flow for the three and nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 20172018 and reconciliations to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations, for those periods are as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017 2018 20172019 2018 2019 2018
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations (1)
$(57,389) $21,772
 $(132,961) $(135,704)$18,584
 $(57,389) $(130,118) $(132,961)
Purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software from continuing operations(16,094) (14,255) (53,611) (43,716)(17,693) (16,094) (51,854) (53,611)
Free cash flow (1)
$(73,483) $7,517
 $(186,572) $(179,420)$891
 $(73,483) $(181,972) $(186,572)


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(1)
Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations and free cash flow have been updated from $23.9 million and $9.6 million previously reported, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2017, and from negative $133.1 million and negative $176.8 million previously reported, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 to reflect the adoption of ASU 2016-18 on January 1, 2018. See Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards, for additional information on the adoption of ASU 2016-18.
Our revenue-generating transactions are primarily structured such that we collect cash up-front from customers and pay third-party merchants at a later date, either based on a fixed payment schedule or upon the customer's redemption of the related voucher. For merchants on fixed payment terms, we remit payments on an ongoing basis, generally bi-weekly, throughout the term of the merchant's offering. For purchases of merchandise inventory, our supplier payment terms generally range from net 30 to net 60 days. We have primarily paid merchants on fixed payment terms in North America and upon voucher redemption internationally. In the third quarter 2017, we began to increase our use of redemption payment terms with our North America merchants as well and we expect that trend to continue.
Our cash balances fluctuate significantly throughout the year based on many variables, including gross billings growth rates, the timing of payments to merchants and suppliers, seasonality and the mix of transactions between Goods and Local. For example, we typically generate strong cash inflows during the fourth quarter holiday season,
driven primarily by our Goods category, followed by significant cash outflows in the following period when payments are made to inventory suppliers. We are currently developing and testing voucherless offerings that are linked to customer credit cards, which we refer to as Groupon+. For Groupon+ deals, we offertypically result in cash back on customers' credit card statements based onfor qualifying purchases with participating merchants.purchases. For many of those offerings, we typically remit paymentfund the cash back to a card brand networkthe customer within two weeks of the qualifying purchase for the customer's cash back incentive and then we collect from the merchant both our commission and reimbursement for the customer's cash back incentive usuallyfrom our merchants on a monthly basis. The working capital impact of Groupon+card-linked offerings with this merchant payment structure is less favorable to us than voucher transactions, for which we collect payment from customers at the time of sale and remit payment to merchants at a later date. As such, we expect that
For the nine months ended September 30, 2019, our net cash flows will initially be adversely impactedused in operating activities from continuing operations was $130.1 million, as compared with a $93.5 million net loss from continuing operations. That difference was primarily due to $223.5 million of non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and a $69.4 million loss from changes in fair value of our investment in Monster LP, partially offset by a $260.1 million decrease from changes in working capital and other assets and liabilities. The working capital impact was primarily related to the seasonal timing of payments to inventory suppliers and to a lesser extent that Groupon+ offerings begin to scalea reduction in future periods.gross billings.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, our net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations was $133.0 million, as compared to ourwith a $47.9 million net loss from continuing operations. That difference was primarily due to a $243.8 million net decrease from changes in working capital and other assets and liabilities. The working capital impact was primarily related to the seasonal timing of payments to inventory suppliers and also includes $42.1 million of the payment to IBM related to the settlement of our patent litigation as described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies.litigation. The difference between our net cash provided by operating activities and our net income from continuing operations due to changes in working capital was partially offset by $158.7 million of non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, our net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations was $135.7 million, as compared to a $22.5 million net loss from continuing operations. That difference was primarily due to a $266.7 million decrease from changes in working capital and other assets and liabilities. The working capital impact was primarily related to the seasonal timing of payments to inventory suppliers and payments related to our restructuring activities. The difference between our net cash provided by operating activities and our net income from continuing operations due to changes in working capital was partially offset by $153.4 million of non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation.
Our net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations was $118.5$54.9 million and $9.6$118.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, our2018. Our net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations included net cash paid for a business acquisition of $57.8 million, purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software of $51.9 million and $53.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, net cash used in investing activities also included net cash paid of $57.8 million related to the acquisition of Cloud Savings and net cash paid of $17.1 million for acquisitions of intangible assets, including $15.4 million related to the settlement of our IBM patent litigation as described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, our net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations included purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software of $43.7 million, proceeds of $18.3 million from the sale of intangible assets and proceeds of $16.6 million from sales and maturities of investments.


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litigation.
Our net cash used in financing activities was $49.3$82.0 million and $121.6$49.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 and 2017, respectively.2018. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019, net cash used in financing activities included $44.2 million in repurchases of common stock under our share repurchase program, $16.9 million in payments of finance lease obligations and $14.0 million in taxes paid related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, net cash used in financing activities included $25.3 million in payments of capitalfinance lease obligations and $18.6 million in taxes paid related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards. For
In May 2019, we entered into the nine months ended September 30, 2017, net cash used in financing activities included $61.2 million in purchases of treasury stock under our share repurchase program, $25.3 million in payments of capital lease obligations and $23.3 million in taxes paid related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards.
Our Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement which provides for aggregate principal borrowings of up to $250.0$400.0 million and matures in July 2019. We intend to refinance our Amended and Restated Credit Agreement in the first half of 2019.May 2024. As of September 30, 2018,2019, we had no borrowings outstanding under our Amended and Restatedthe 2019 Credit Agreement and were in compliance with all covenants. See Item 1, Note 8, 5, Financing Arrangements, for additional information.
As of September 30, 2018,2019, we had $249.4$196.4 million in cash held by our international subsidiaries, which is primarily denominated in Euros, British Pounds Sterling, Canadian dollars, and, to a lesser extent, Australian dollars and Japanese yen. In general, it is our practice and intention to re-invest the earnings of our non-U.S. subsidiaries in those operations. We have not, nor do we anticipate the need to, repatriate funds to the United States to satisfy domestic liquidity needs arising in the ordinary course of business.
In May 2018, the Board of Directors authorized us to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our common stock under a new share repurchase program. The Company's prior share repurchase program expired in April 2018. Upon its expiration, up to $135.2 million of our common stock remained available for purchase under that prior share repurchase program. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018,2019, we did notrepurchased 5,391,084 and 14,027,227 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $15.1 million and $45.2 million (including fees and commissions) under our repurchase any sharesprogram. As of September 30, 2019, up to $245.0 million of common stock remained available for purchase under our common stock.program. The timing and amount of share repurchases, if any, will be determined based on market conditions, limitations under our Amended and Restatedthe 2019 Credit Agreement, share price and other factors, and the share repurchase program may be terminated at any time. Repurchases will be made in compliance with SEC rules and other legal


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requirements and may be made, in part, under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which permits share repurchases when we might otherwise be precluded from doing so.
Our cash balances and cash flows generated from our operations may be used to fund strategic investments, business acquisitions, working capital needs, investments in technology, marketing and share repurchases. Additionally, we have the ability to borrow funds under our Amended and Restatedthe 2019 Credit Agreement. We could also seek to raise additional financing, if available on terms that we believe are favorable, to increase the amount of liquid funds that we can access for acquisitions, share repurchases or other strategic investment opportunities. Although we can provide no assurances, we believe that our cash balances and cash generated from operations should be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Our contractual obligations and commitments as of September 30, 20182019 did not materially change from the amounts set forth in our 20172018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as disclosed in Item 1, Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies.6, Leases.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as of September 30, 2018.2019.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosuresdisclosure of contingent liabilities. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Item 2, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, and in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as amended.2018. In addition, refer to the critical accounting policies and estimates under Part II, Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as amended.2018.


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The changes to our revenuelease recognition policies upon the adoption of Topic 606842 on January 1, 2018 represents2019 represent a material change to our critical accounting policies and estimates during the nine months ended September 30, 2018.2019. See Item 1, Note 2, Adoption of New Accounting Standards, and Note 11, Revenue Recognition6, Leases, for additional information related to our revised revenuenew lease recognition policies.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This ASU will require the recognition of lease assets and liabilities for operating leases with terms of more than 12 months, in addition to the capital lease assets and liabilities currently recorded on our consolidated balance sheets. Presentation of leases within the consolidated statements of operations and cash flows will be substantially consistent with current accounting guidance. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. We are continuing to evaluate the impact of the ASU and expect that it will have a material impact on our consolidated balance sheets. We have substantially completed the implementation of a lease accounting system. We currently plan to adopt the ASU using the modified retrospective transition method, which applies the new lease guidance as of the January 1, 2019 adoption date and requires the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance to be recognized as an adjustment to our accumulated deficit as of that adoption date. We also expect to elect the practical expedient package permitted under the transition guidance within the ASU and its related amendments. See Note 10, Commitments and Contingencies, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2017, as amended, and Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for information about our lease commitments.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) - Measurement of Credit Losses of Financial Instruments. This ASU requires entities to measure credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, entities will be required to recognize credit losses through an allowance for credit losses. The ASU will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods. WhileAlthough we are still assessing the impact of ASU 2016-13, we currently believe that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) - Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test and requires a goodwill impairment to be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of its goodwill. The ASU is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We believe that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU expands the scope of Topic 718 to make the guidance to share-based payment awards to nonemployees consistent with the guidance for share-based payment awards to employees. The ASU will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those annual periods. We believe that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

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In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, by removing, modifying, or adding certain disclosures. The ASU will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted, and entities are permitted to early adopt any removed or modified disclosures and delay adoption of the additional disclosures until the effective date. We are still assessing the impact of ASU 2018-13 on our condensed consolidated financial statements.


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In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) - Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This ASU requires entities in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to follow the guidance in Subtopic 350-40, Internal-Use Software, to determine which costs to implement the service contract would be capitalized as an asset related to the service contract and which costs would be expensed. The ASU will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted, including in interim periods. We are still assessing the impact of ASU 2018-15 on our condensed consolidated financial statements.
There are no other accounting standards that have been issued but not yet adopted that are expected to have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial position or results of operations.




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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We have operations both within the United States and internationally, and we are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business, including the effect of foreign currency fluctuations, interest rate changes and inflation. Information relating to quantitative and qualitative disclosures about those market risks is set forth below.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
We transact business in various foreign currencies other than the U.S. dollar, principally the euro, British pound sterling, Canadian dollar and Australian dollar, which exposes us to foreign currency risk. For both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018,2019, we derived approximately 39.1% and 38.2%, respectively,38.7% of our revenue from our International segment. Revenue and related expenses generated from our international operations are generally denominated in the local currencies of the corresponding countries. The functional currencies of our subsidiaries that either operate or support those markets are generally the same as the corresponding local currencies. However, the results of operations of, and certain of our intercompany balances associated with, our international operations are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Upon consolidation, as exchange rates vary, our revenue and other operating results may differ materially from expectations, and we may record significant gains or losses on the re-measurement of intercompany balances.
We assess our foreign currency exchange risk based on hypothetical changes in rates utilizing a sensitivity analysis that measures the potential impact on working capital based on a 10% change (increase and decrease) in currency rates. We use a current market pricing model to assess the changes in the value of the U.S. dollar on foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities. The primary assumption used in this model is a hypothetical 10% weakening or strengthening of the U.S. dollar against those currency exposures as of September 30, 20182019 and December 31, 2017.2018.
As of September 30, 2018,2019, our net working capital deficit (defined as current assets less current liabilities) from subsidiaries that are subject to foreign currency translation risk was $9.6 million.$3.6 million. The potential increasedecrease in this working capital deficit from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in quoted foreign currency exchange rates would be $1.0 million.$0.4 million. This compares towith a $21.5$20.8 million working capital deficitsurplus subject to foreign currency exposure as of December 31, 2017,2018, for which a 10% adverse change would have resulted in a potential increase in this working capital deficitsurplus of $2.2$2.1 million.
Interest Rate Risk
Our cash balance as of September 30, 20182019 consists of bank deposits, so exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates is limited. In April 2016, we issued convertible notes with an aggregate principal amount of $250.0 million (see Item 1, Note 8, 5, Financing Arrangements). The convertible notes bear interest at a fixed rate, so we have no financial statement impact from changes in interest rates. However, changes in market interest rates impact the fair value of the convertible notes along with other variables such as our credit spreads and the market price and volatility of our common stock. In June 2016,May 2019, we entered into the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement thatwhich provides for aggregate principal borrowings of up to $250.0$400.0 million. As of September 30, 2018, there were2019, we had no borrowings outstanding under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement. Because the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement bears interest at a variable rate, we are exposed to market risk relating to changes in interest rates if we borrow under the Amended and Restated2019 Credit Agreement. We also have $33.3$166.7 million of capital lease obligations. Weobligations as of September 30, 2019. Interest rates on existing leases typically do not change unless there is a modification to a lease agreement and as such, we do not believe that the interest rate risk on the capital lease obligations is significant.
Impact of Inflation
We believe that our results of operations are not materially impacted by moderate changes in the inflation rate. Inflation and changing prices did not have a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.2019.




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ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that, as of September 30, 2018,2019, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that hashave materially affected, or isare reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures
In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.




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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For a description of our material pending legal proceedings, please see Item 1, Note 9, 7, Commitments and Contingencies, to our condensed consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as amended,2018, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.2019.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
During the three months ended September 30, 2018,2019, we did not issue any unregistered equity securities.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On May 7, 2018, the Board authorized us to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our common stock under a newour share repurchase program. The Company's prior share repurchase program expired in April 2018. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company did not2019, we repurchased 5,391,084 and 14,027,227 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $15.1 million and $45.2 million (including fees and commissions) under our repurchase any sharesprogram. As of itsSeptember 30, 2019, up to $245.0 million of common stock.stock remained available for purchase under our program. The timing and amount of any share repurchases, if any, will be determined based on market conditions, limitations under the amended and restated credit agreement,2019 Credit Agreement, share price and other factors, and the share repurchase program may be terminated at any time. We will fund the repurchases, if any, through cash on hand, future cash flows and borrowings under our credit facility. Repurchases will be made in compliance with SEC rules and other legal requirements and may be made in part under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which permits stock repurchases when the Companywe might otherwise be precluded from doing so. See Note 10, Stockholders' Equity and Compensation Arrangements, for discussion regarding
A summary of our common stock repurchases during the three months ended September 30, 2019 under our share repurchase program.program is set forth in the following table:
Date Total Number of Shares Purchased Average Price Paid Per Share Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Program Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under Program
July 1-31, 2019 
 $
 
 $260,000,005
August 1-31, 2019 
 
 
 260,000,005
September 1-30, 2019 5,391,084
 2.79
 5,391,084
 245,000,007
Total 5,391,084
 $2.79
 5,391,084
 $245,000,007
The following table provides information about purchases of shares of our common stock during the three months ended September 30, 20182019 related to shares withheld upon vesting of restricted stock units for minimum tax withholding obligations:
Date 
Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)
 Average Price Paid Per Share Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Program Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under Program
July 1-31, 2018 167,103
 $4.67
 
 
August 1-31, 2018 128,385
 4.53
 
 
September 1-30, 2018 809,007
 3.92
 
 
Total 1,104,495
 $4.10
 
 
Date 
Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)
 Average Price Paid Per Share Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Program Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under Program
July 1-31, 2019 158,105
 $2.99
 
 
August 1-31, 2019 78,698
 2.41
 
 
September 1-30, 2019 496,458
 2.79
 
 
Total 733,261
 $2.79
 
 
(1)Total number of shares delivered to us by employees to satisfy the mandatory tax withholding requirement upon vesting of stock-based compensation awards.


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ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.


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ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number
 Description
10.1**
31.1 
31.2 
32.1 
101.INS *** XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104 ***Cover Page Interactive Data File


** Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement
*** The XBRL Instance Document and Cover Page Interactive Data File do not appear in the Interactive Data File because their XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document



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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on this 7th4th day of November 2018.2019.
GROUPON, INC.
By: /s/ Michael RandolfiMelissa Thomas
  Name:Michael RandolfiMelissa Thomas
  Title:Interim Chief Financial Officer






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