| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Zendesk, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Reclassification Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. These reclassifications had an immaterial effect on our reported results of operations. Use of Estimates The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include: • the estimate of variable consideration related to revenue recognition; • the estimate of credit losses for accounts receivable and marketable securities; • the fair value and useful lives of acquired intangible assets; • the capitalization and useful life of capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts; • the valuation of strategic investments; • the fair value and useful lives of property and equipment; • the capitalization and useful lives of internal-use software; • the lease term and incremental borrowing rate for lease liabilities; • the fair value of our convertible senior notes; • the fair value of asset retirement obligations; • the fair value and expense recognition for certain share-based awards; • the preparation of financial forecasts used in currency hedging; • the recognition and measurement of legal contingencies; and • the recognition of tax benefits and forecasts used to determine our effective tax rate. As of the date of issuance of the financial statements, we are not aware of any material specific events or circumstances that would require us to update our estimates, judgments, or to revise the carrying values of our assets or liabilities. These estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and are recognized in the consolidated financial statements as soon as they become known. Actual results could differ from those estimates and any such differences may be material to our financial statements. Segment Information Our chief operating decision maker reviews the financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of allocating resources and evaluating our financial performance. Accordingly, we have determined that we operate in a single operating segment. Revenue Recognition We generate substantially all of our revenue from subscription services, which are comprised of subscription fees from customer accounts on Zendesk Support and, to a lesser extent, Chat, Talk, Guide, Gather, Explore, Sell, Sunshine, and Sunshine Conversations and includes related support services. We also derive revenue from Zendesk Suite, our omnichannel offering, which combines many of these existing solutions into easy to purchase plans. In addition, we generate revenue by providing additional features to certain of our subscription plans for a fee that is incremental to the base subscription rate for such plans. Subscription service arrangements are generally non-cancelable and do not provide for refunds to customers in the event of cancellations or any other right of return. We record revenue net of sales or excise taxes. We also derive revenue from implementation and training services, for which we recognize revenue based on proportional performance, and Talk usage, for which we recognize revenue based on usage. Revenues are recognized when control of these services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services. We determine revenue recognition through the following steps: • Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; • Identification of the performance obligations in the contract; • Determination of the transaction price; • Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and • Recognition of revenue when, or as, the performance obligations are satisfied. Subscription revenue is recognized on a ratable basis over the contractual subscription term of the arrangement, as the underlying service is a stand-ready performance obligation, beginning on the date that our service is made available to the customer. Payments received in advance of services being rendered are recorded as deferred revenue. Certain customers have arrangements that provide for a maximum number of users over the subscription term, with usage measured monthly, and additional fees are incurred for incremental users above the maximum. In determining the transaction price for these arrangements, we evaluate the expected usage and estimate any additional fees that we are entitled to throughout the subscription term and recognize revenue ratably over the subscription term. In making these assessments, we constrain our estimates based on factors that could lead to a probable significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized. Additionally, certain customers have arrangements that provide for unlimited users during the subscription term for a fixed fee. We recognize revenue from these arrangements on a ratable basis over the subscription term. To a lesser extent, we derive revenue through indirect sales channels, including referral partners and resellers, as well as implementation partners, for which we recognize revenue on a gross basis, as we act as the principal in such arrangements. Certain of our product solutions include service-level agreements warranting defined levels of uptime reliability and performance and permitting those customers to receive credits for future services in the event that we fail to meet those levels. To date, we have not accrued for any material liabilities in our consolidated financial statements as a result of these service-level agreements. Deferred Revenue We invoice customers for subscriptions to our solutions in monthly, quarterly, or annual installments. Deferred revenue consists primarily of customer billings made in advance of performance obligations being satisfied and revenue being recognized, and includes an immaterial amount of billings for subscriptions with customer cancellation rights. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant and we do not provide financing arrangements to customers. Deferred revenue associated with performance obligations that are anticipated to be satisfied, and thus revenue recognized, during the succeeding 12-month period is recorded as current deferred revenue and the remaining portion is recorded as noncurrent deferred revenue. We invoice customers based on billing schedules established in our contracts. Accounts receivable are recorded when the right to consideration becomes unconditional. Cost of Revenue Cost of revenue consists primarily of personnel costs (primarily including salaries, share-based compensation, and benefits) for employees associated with our infrastructure, product support, and professional service organizations, and expenses for hosting capabilities, primarily for third-party managed hosting services. Cost of revenue also includes third-party license fees, payment processing fees, amortization expense associated with acquired intangible assets, amortization expense associated with capitalized internal-use software, and allocated shared costs, primarily including facilities, information technology, and security costs. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash We consider all highly liquid investments purchased with a remaining maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are recorded at fair value and consist primarily of bank deposits and money market funds. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, our restricted cash balance was $1 million and $2 million, respectively, consisting primarily of cash pledged for charitable donation. Restricted cash is included within prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets on our consolidated balance sheets. Marketable Securities Marketable securities consist of U.S. Treasury securities, corporate bonds, money market funds, asset-backed securities, agency securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and time deposits. We classify marketable securities as available-for-sale at the time of purchase and reevaluate such classification as of each balance sheet date. All marketable securities are recorded at their estimated fair values. When the fair value of a marketable security declines below its amortized cost basis, any portion of that decline attributable to credit losses, to the extent expected to be nonrecoverable before the sale of the security, is recognized in our consolidated statement of operations. When the fair value of the security declines below its amortized cost basis due to changes in interest rates, such amounts are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), or AOCI, and are recognized in our consolidated statement of operations only if we sell or intend to sell the security before recovery of its cost basis. Realized gains and losses are determined based on the specific identification method and are reported in interest and other income (expense), net in our consolidated statements of operations. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount, net of allowance for credit losses. The allowance is based upon historical loss patterns, the age of each past due invoice, and an evaluation of the potential risk of loss associated with delinquent accounts, including reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions. Accounts receivable deemed uncollectible are charged against the allowance for credit losses when identified. Our allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable consists of the following activity (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning balance $ 5,787 $ 2,846 Additions 15,200 14,015 Write-offs (14,797) (11,074) Allowance for credit losses, ending balance $ 6,190 $ 5,787 When revenue is recognized in advance of invoicing we record contract assets, which are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on our consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the balance of contract assets was $4 million and $5 million, respectively. Costs to Obtain Customer Contracts Sales commissions and related expenses are considered incremental and recoverable costs of acquiring customer contracts. These costs are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over their anticipated period of benefit, which we have estimated to be three years. We determined the period of benefit by taking into consideration the length of our customer contracts, our technology lifecycle, and other factors. Amortization expense is recorded in sales and marketing expense within our consolidated statement of operations. Sales commissions paid for contract renewals are not material. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Maintenance and repair costs are charged to expense as incurred. The estimated useful lives of our property and equipment are as follows: Furniture and fixtures 5 years Computer equipment and licensed software and patents 3 to 5 years Leasehold improvements Shorter of the lease term or estimated useful life Leases We lease office space under noncancelable operating leases with various expiration dates. Additionally, we are the sublessor for certain office space. All of our office leases are classified as operating leases with lease expense recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we estimate our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The lease right-of-use assets also include any lease payments made and exclude lease incentives such as tenant improvement allowances. Options to extend the lease term are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise the extension option. Our operating leases typically include non-lease components such as common-area maintenance costs. We have elected to include non-lease components with lease payments for the purpose of calculating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities, to the extent that they are fixed. Non-lease components that are not fixed are expensed as incurred as variable lease payments. Leases with a term of one year or less are not recognized on our consolidated balance sheets; we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Derivative Instruments and Hedging We enter into foreign currency forward contracts with certain financial institutions to mitigate the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on our future cash flows and earnings. All of our foreign currency forward contracts are designated as cash flow hedges. Our foreign currency forward contracts generally have maturities of 15 months or less. We recognize all forward contracts on our balance sheet at fair value as either assets or liabilities. The effective portion of the gain or loss on each forward contract is reported as a component of AOCI, and reclassified into revenue, cost of revenue or operating expense in the same period, or periods, during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the gains or losses, if any, is recorded immediately in interest and other income (expense), net. We include time value related to our cash flow hedges for effectiveness testing purposes and the entire change in the unrecognized value of our hedge contracts is recorded in AOCI. We evaluate the effectiveness of our cash flow hedges on a quarterly basis. We have a master netting agreement with each of our counterparties, which permit net settlement of multiple, separate derivative contracts with a single payment. We do not have collateral requirements with any of our counterparties. GAAP permits companies to present the fair value of derivative instruments on a net basis according to master netting arrangements. We have elected to present our derivative instruments on a gross basis in our consolidated financial statements. We do not enter into any derivative contracts for trading or speculative purposes. All derivatives have been designated as hedging instruments. Fair Value Measurements We measure certain financial instruments at fair value using a fair value hierarchy. A financial instrument’s classification within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Three levels of inputs may be used to measure fair value: Level 1—Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 2—Other inputs that are directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace. Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. Our marketable securities are classified within either Level 1 or Level 2, and our foreign currency forward contracts and convertible senior notes are classified within Level 2. We have no financial assets or liabilities measured using Level 3 inputs. The fair values of our Level 1 marketable securities are based on quoted market prices of identical underlying securities. The fair values of our Level 2 marketable securities are based on indirect or directly observable market data, including readily available pricing sources for identical underlying securities that may not be actively traded. The fair values of our foreign currency forward contracts are based on quoted prices and market observable data of similar instruments in active markets, such as currency spot rates, forward rates, and LIBOR. We estimate the fair value of our convertible senior notes based on their last traded prices or market observable inputs. For certain other financial instruments, including accounts receivable, accounts payable and other current liabilities, the carrying amounts approximate their fair value due to the relatively short maturity of these instruments. Capitalized Internal-Use Software Costs We capitalize certain development costs incurred in connection with software development for our platform and software used in operations, including implementation costs incurred in hosting arrangements that are service contracts. Costs incurred in the preliminary stages of development are expensed as incurred. Once software has reached the development stage, internal and external costs, if direct and incremental, are capitalized until the software is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. Capitalization ceases upon completion of all substantial testing. We also capitalize costs related to specific upgrades and enhancements when it is probable the expenditures will result in additional functionality. Capitalized costs are recorded as part of property and equipment. Maintenance and training costs are expensed as incurred. Capitalized internal-use software is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life and is typically recorded in cost of revenue within the consolidated statements of operations. Business Combinations When we acquire businesses, we allocate the purchase price to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets. Any residual purchase price is recorded as goodwill. The allocation of the purchase price requires management to make significant estimates in determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, especially with respect to intangible assets. These estimates can include, but are not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is expected to generate in the future, the appropriate weighted-average cost of capital, and the cost savings expected to be derived from acquiring an asset. These estimates are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. Goodwill, Acquired Intangible Assets, and Impairment Assessment of Long-Lived Assets Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess purchase consideration of an acquired business over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets. Goodwill is evaluated for impairment annually in the third quarter, and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable. Triggering events that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in customer demand or business climate or a significant decrease in expected cash flows. No impairment charges were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, or 2019. Acquired Intangible Assets. Acquired intangible assets consist of identifiable intangible assets, primarily developed technology and customer relationships, resulting from our acquisitions. Intangible assets are recorded at fair value on the date of acquisition and amortized over their estimated useful lives. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. The carrying amounts of our long-lived assets, including property and equipment, lease right-of-use assets, capitalized internal-use software, costs to obtain customer contracts, and acquired intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable or that the useful lives are shorter than originally estimated. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows the asset is expected to generate over its remaining life. If the asset is considered to be impaired, the amount of any impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the impaired asset. If the useful life is shorter than originally estimated, we amortize the remaining carrying value over the new shorter useful life. There were no material impairments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, other than those disclosed in Note 6, Note 7, and Note 8. Strategic Investments Strategic investments consist of non-controlling equity investments in privately-held companies. We have elected to apply the measurement alternative for these investments as they do not have readily determinable fair values, measuring them at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus adjustments resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. An impairment loss is recorded when events or circumstances indicate a decline in value has occurred. We include strategic investments in other assets in our consolidated balance sheets. Share-Based Compensation Share-based compensation expense to employees is measured based on the fair value of the awards on the grant date and recognized in our consolidated statements of operations over the period during which the employee is required to perform services in exchange for the award (generally the vesting period of the award, which is typically four years). The contractual term of our stock options is typically ten years. We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. We measure the fair value of Restricted Stock Units, or RSUs, and Performance Restricted Stock Units, or PRSUs, based on the fair value of the underlying shares on the date of grant. Compensation expense for awards with only service conditions is recognized over the vesting period of the applicable award using the straight-line method. We record share-based compensation expense for performance-based equity awards using the accelerated attribution method. Share-based compensation expense for our Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or ESPP, is recognized over each 18-month offering period using the straight-line method. Advertising Expense Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, advertising expense was $69 million, $52 million, and $57 million, respectively. Government Grants We have obtained government grants in certain jurisdictions where we operate. We receive the grant funds as we meet certain commitments, including targeted levels of employment and/or spending within the local jurisdictions. If we fail to maintain these commitments, we may be required to repay grant funds received or be ineligible to receive future funding. We recognize grant proceeds to offset costs to which the grants relate on a straight-line basis when it is reasonably assured that the applicable commitments have been met. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, we recognized grant proceeds of $2 million, $4 million, and $4 million, respectively, in our consolidated statements of operations. Income Taxes We record income taxes using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. Valuation allowances are provided when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. Although we believe that we have adequately reserved for our uncertain tax positions, we can provide no assurance that the final tax outcome of these matters will not be materially different. We make adjustments to these reserves when facts and circumstances change, such as the closing of a tax audit or the refinement of an estimate. To the extent that the final outcome of these matters is different than the amounts recorded, such differences will affect the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made and could have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We have elected to record interest accrued and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in our consolidated statements of operations within provision for income taxes. Foreign Currency The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, monetary balance sheet accounts are remeasured using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates and non-monetary items are remeasured at historical exchange rates. Expenses are generally remeasured at the average exchange rates for the period. Foreign currency remeasurement and transaction gains and losses are included in interest and other income (expense), net. Concentrations of Risk Financial instruments potentially exposing us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, marketable securities, accounts receivable, and derivative instruments, including the capped calls associated with our convertible senior notes. We place our cash and cash equivalents with high-credit-quality financial institutions. However, we maintain balances in excess of the FDIC insurance limits. We do not require our customers to provide collateral to support accounts receivable and maintain an allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable balances. We seek to mitigate counterparty credit risk related to our derivative instruments by transacting with major financial institutions with high credit ratings. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, no customers represented 10% or greater of our total accounts receivable balance. There were no customers that individually exceeded 10% of our revenue in any of the periods presented. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, regarding ASC Topic 470 “ Debt ” and ASC Topic 815 “ Derivatives and Hedging ,” which reduces the number of accounting models for convertible instruments, including amending the calculation of diluted earnings per share and the balance sheet presentation of those instruments, as well as the resulting recognition of interest expense, among other changes. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted. We intend to adopt this standard using the modified retrospective method in the first quarter of 2022. Adoption of the standard will impact the 2023 Notes and 2025 Notes outstanding as of January 1, 2022, and will result in the re-combination of the liability and equity components of each instrument into a single liability instrument measured at amortized cost. As a result, at transition we expect to record an increase to the total carrying value of our Notes, to reflect the full principal amount of the Notes outstanding net of issuance costs, a decrease to additional paid-in-capital, to remove the equity component separately recorded for the conversion features associated with the Notes, and a cumulative effect adjustment to the beginning balance of accumulated deficit. Interest expense recognized in future periods will be reduced as a result of accounting for each instrument as a single liability measured at amortized cost. In addition, the required use of the if-converted method in calculating diluted earnings per share for convertible instruments is expected to increase the number of potentially dilutive shares. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08 "Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers," |
