| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The Company’s consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The consolidated statements of operations include the results of entities acquired from the dates of the acquisitions for accounting purposes. Changes in Accounting Principle See “ Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements ” below for a description of accounting principle changes adopted during the year ended December 31, 2017 related to goodwill, business combinations and stock-based compensation. Use of Estimates The preparation of 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 the related disclosures at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. Estimates include revenue recognition, the allowance for doubtful accounts, website and internal-use software development costs, goodwill, depreciable lives of property and equipment, recoverability of intangible assets with finite lives and other long-lived assets and stock-based compensation. To the extent there are material differences between these estimates, judgments or assumptions and actual results, the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be affected. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash includes demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Cash equivalents include short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash, and that are so near their maturity that they present minimal risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. The Company’s cash equivalents include only investments with original maturities of three months or less. The Company regularly maintains cash in excess of federally insured limits at financial institutions. Marketable Securities Marketable securities consist primarily of commercial paper and investment grade U.S. and non-U.S.-issued corporate and U.S. government agency debt securities. The Company invests in a diversified portfolio of marketable securities and limits the concentration of its investment in any particular security. Marketable securities with original maturities of three months or less are included in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities with original maturities greater than three months, but less than one year, are included in short term investments on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company determines the classification of its marketable securities as available-for-sale or held-to-maturity at the time of purchase and reassesses these determinations at each balance sheet date. Debt securities are classified as held-to-maturity when the Company has the intent to hold the securities to maturity. Held-to-maturity securities are stated at amortized cost and are periodically assessed for other-than-temporary impairment. The amortized cost of debt securities is adjusted for the amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity, which is recognized as interest income within interest (income) expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Interest income is recognized when earned. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Accumulated other comprehensive loss consists of foreign currency translation adjustments. The financial statements of the Company’s U.K. subsidiary are translated from their functional currency into U.S. dollars. Assets and liabilities are translated at period end rates of exchange, and revenue and expenses are translated using average rates of exchange. The resulting gain or loss is included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on the consolidated balance sheets. Property and Equipment, Net Property and equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. The useful lives are as follows:
Estimated Useful Life
Computer equipment
2-3 years
Furniture and fixtures
5 years
Developed software
1-3 years
Purchased software and digital assets
3-5 years
Leasehold improvements
Shorter of expected useful life or lease term Maintenance and repair costs are charged to expense as incurred. Major improvements, which extend the useful life of the related asset, are capitalized. Upon disposal of a fixed asset, the Company records a gain or loss based on the difference between the proceeds received and the net book value of the disposed asset. Accounts Receivable, Net Accounts receivable primarily represent the net cash due from the Company’s payment processor for cleared transactions and amounts owed from corporate customers. The carrying amount of the Company’s receivables is reduced by an allowance for doubtful accounts that reflects management’s best estimate of amounts that will not be collected. These uncollected amounts are generally not recovered from the restaurants. The allowance is recorded through a charge to bad debt expense which is recognized within general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. The allowance is based on historical loss experience and any specific risks, current or forecasted, identified in collection matters. Management provides for probable uncollectible amounts through a charge against bad debt expense and a credit to an allowance based on its assessment of the current status of individual accounts. Balances still outstanding after management has used reasonable collection efforts are written off against the allowance. The Company does not charge interest on trade receivables. The Company incurs expenses for uncollected credit card receivables (or “chargebacks”), including fraudulent orders, when a diner’s card is authorized but fails to process, and for other unpaid credit card receivables. The majority of the Company’s chargeback expense is recorded directly to general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations as the charges are incurred; however, a portion of the allowance for doubtful accounts includes a reserve for estimated chargebacks on the net cash due from the Company’s payment processors as of the end of the period. Changes in the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts for the periods presented were as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2017
2016
Balance at beginning of period
$
1,229
$
959
Additions to expense
1,424
1,102
Write-offs, net of recoveries and other adjustments
(1,140
)
(832
)
Balance at end of period
$
1,513
$
1,229
Advertising Costs Advertising costs are generally expensed as incurred in connection with the requisite service period. Certain advertising production costs are capitalized and expensed when the advertisement first takes place. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, expenses attributable to advertising totaled approximately $107.2 million, $75.5 million and $64.4 million, respectively. Advertising costs are recorded in sales and marketing expense on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Stock-Based Compensation The Company measures compensation expense for all stock-based awards, including stock options, restricted stock units and restricted stock awards, at fair value on the date of grant and recognizes compensation expense over the service period on a straight-line basis for awards expected to vest. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value for stock options. Management has determined the Black-Scholes fair value of stock option awards and related stock-based compensation expense with the assistance of third-party valuations. Determining the fair value of stock-based awards at the grant date requires judgment. The determination of the grant date fair value of options using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company’s estimated common stock fair value as well as assumptions regarding a number of other complex and subjective variables. If any of the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model changes significantly, stock-based compensation for future awards may differ materially compared with the awards granted previously. In valuing the Company’s options, the Company makes assumptions about risk-free interest rates, dividend yields, volatility and weighted-average expected lives, including estimated forfeiture rates. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires the use of highly subjective and complex assumptions, including the expected term and the price volatility of the underlying stock, which determine the fair value of stock-based awards. These assumptions include:
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Risk-free rate. Risk-free interest rates are derived from U.S. Treasury securities as of the option grant date.
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Expected dividend yields. Expected dividend yields are based on our historical dividend payments, which have been zero to date (excluding the preferred stock tax distributions made by Seamless Holdings).
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Volatility. Because the Company has a limited trading history and did not have public trading history for its common shares until April of 2014, we estimate volatility of our share price based on a combination of the published historical volatilities of comparable publicly-traded companies in our vertical markets and the historical volatility of our common stock.
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Expected term. Beginning in the first quarter of 2017, the expected term calculation for option awards considers a combination of the Company’s historical and estimated future exercise behavior. The Company transitioned from using a simplified method for calculating the expected term of its plain vanilla stock options as it has obtained sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term . Prior to 2017, t he Company applied a simplified method which estimated the weighted-average expected life of the options as the average of the vesting option schedule and the term of the award due to the limited period of time stock-based awards had been exercisable.
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Forfeiture rate. Forfeiture rates are estimated using historical actual forfeiture trends as well as our judgment of future forfeitures. These rates are evaluated at least annually and any change in compensation expense is recognized in the period of the change. The estimation of stock awards that will ultimately vest requires judgment and, to the extent actual results or updated estimates differ from our current estimates, such amounts will be recorded as a cumulative adjustment in the period in which the estimates are revised. The Company considers many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including the types of awards and employee class. Actual results, and future changes in estimates, may differ substantially from management’s current estimates. The Company will continue to estimate forfeitures as described above in accordance with the policy alternatives available under Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”) , effective in the first quarter of 2017. See Note , Stock-Based Compensation, for the weighted-average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Beginning in the first quarter of 2017, the Company recognizes tax benefits and deficiencies for stock-based awards in income tax (benefit) expense within the consolidated statements of operations. See “ Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements” below and Note 9, “Stock-Based Compensation”, for further discussion. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-09, other tax attributes available to the Company had been utilized. Income Tax (Benefit) Expense Income tax (benefit) expense is determined using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are calculated based upon the temporary differences between the financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates that are applicable in a given year. The utilization of deferred tax assets is limited by the amount of taxable income expected to be generated within the allowable carryforward period and other factors. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount management believes is more likely than not to be realized. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, a valuation allowance of $4.8 million and $1.6 million, respectively, was recorded the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company utilizes a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions (“tax contingencies”). The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments, and which may not accurately forecast actual outcomes. Management believes that it is more likely than not that forecasted income, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, will be sufficient to fully recover the net deferred tax assets. In the event the Company determines that all or part of the net deferred tax assets are not realizable in the future, we will adjust the valuation allowance with the adjustment recognized as expense in the period in which such determination is made. The calculation of income tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties and complex tax laws. In addition, the Company’s tax returns are subject to audit by various U.S. and foreign tax authorities. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with our expectations could have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations. In accordance with U.S. tax legislation signed into law in December of 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) The Company includes interest and penalties related to tax contingencies in the provision for income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 10, Income Taxes Intangible Assets Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized using the straight-line method over their useful lives and are reviewed for impairment. The Company evaluates intangible assets with finite and indefinite useful lives and other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that they may not be recoverable, or at least annually. Recoverability of finite and other long-lived assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset group to the future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by that asset group. The Company groups assets for purposes of such review at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows of the asset group are largely independent of the cash flows of the other groups of assets and liabilities. The amount of impairment to be recognized for finite and indefinite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets is calculated as the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the asset group, generally measured by discounting estimated future cash flows. There were no impairment indicators present during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 or 2015. Website and Software Development Costs The costs incurred in the preliminary stages of website and software development are expensed as incurred. Once an application has reached the development stage, internal and external costs, if direct and incremental and deemed by management to be significant, are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the application. Maintenance and enhancement costs, including those costs in the post-implementation stages, are typically expensed as incurred, unless such costs relate to substantial upgrades and enhancements to the website or software that result in added functionality, in which case the costs are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives. Amortization expense related to capitalized website and software development costs is included in depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company capitalized $26.0 million, $15.6 million and $8.0 million of website development costs during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired business over the fair value of the assets acquired at the date of acquisition. The Company’s methodology for allocating the purchase price of acquisitions is based on established valuation techniques that consider a number of factors, including valuations performed by third-party appraisers. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had $589.9 million in goodwill on its consolidated balance sheets. The Company assesses the impairment of goodwill at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill may be impaired. Absent any special circumstances that could require an interim test, the Company has elected to test for goodwill impairment at September 30 of each year. The Company has one reporting unit in testing goodwill for impairment. In testing goodwill for impairment, the Company may elect to utilize a qualitative assessment to evaluate whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment indicates that goodwill impairment is more likely than not, the Company performs a quantitative impairment test. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” (“ASU 2017-04”). Under 2017-04, the Company would recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, if any, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. Management determined the fair value of the Company as of September 30, 2017 by using a market-based approach that utilized our market capitalization, as adjusted for factors such as a control premium. After consideration of the Company’s market capitalization, business growth and other factors, management determined that it was more likely than not that the fair value of the Company exceeded its carrying amount at September 30, 2017 and that further analysis was not required. Additionally, as part of the interim review for indicators of impairment, management analyzed potential changes in value based on operating results for the three months ended December 31, 2017 compared to expected results. Management also considered how the Company’s market capitalization, business growth and other factors used in the September 30, 2017 impairment analysis, could be impacted by changes in market conditions and economic events. For example, the fair market value of the Company’s stock has increased since September 30, 2017. Management considered these trends in performing its assessment of whether an interim impairment review was required. Based on this interim assessment, management concluded that as of December 31, 2017, there were no events or changes in circumstances that indicated it was more likely than not that the Company’s fair value was below its carrying value. The Company determined there was no goodwill impairment during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Nevertheless, significant changes in global economic and market conditions could result in changes to expectations of future financial results and key valuation assumptions. Such changes could result in revisions of management’s estimates of the Company’s fair value and could result in a material impairment of goodwill. D ebt Issuance Costs The Company incurred debt issuance costs in connection with its debt facilities and related amendments. Amounts paid directly to lenders are classified as issuance costs and are recorded as a reduction in the carrying value of the debt. Commitment fees and other costs directly associated with obtaining credit facilities are deferred financing costs which are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets and amortized over the term of the facility. The Company allocated deferred debt issuance costs incurred for its current credit facility between the revolver and term loan based on their relative borrowing capacity. Deferred debt issuance costs associated with the revolving credit facility are recorded within other assets and those associated with the term loan are recorded as a reduction of the carrying value of the debt on the consolidated balance sheets. Debt Fair Value Accounting standards define fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The standards also establish a fair value hierarchy, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. See Note 14, Fair Value Measurement, Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of accounts receivable. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company had no customers which accounted for more than 1% of revenue or 10% of accounts receivable. Revenue Recognition In general, the Company recognizes revenue when (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered to the customer, (iii) the fee is fixed or determinable and (iv) collectability is reasonably assured. The Company considers persuasive evidence of an arrangement to be a signed agreement, a binding contract with the restaurant or other similar documentation reflecting the terms and conditions under which products or services will be provided. The Company generates revenues primarily when diners place an order on the platform through its mobile applications, its websites, third-party websites that incorporate API or one of the Company’s listed phone numbers. Restaurants pay a commission, typically a percentage of the transaction, on orders that are processed through the platform. Most of the restaurants on the Company’s platform can choose their level of commission rate, at or above a base rate. A restaurant can choose to pay a higher rate which affects its prominence and exposure to diners on the platform. Additionally, restaurants that use the Company’s delivery services pay an additional commission for the use of those services. As an agent of the merchant in the transaction, the Company recognizes as revenues only the commissions from the transaction, which are a percentage of the total Gross Food Sales for such transaction. The Company periodically provides incentive offers to restaurants and diners to use the platform. These promotions are generally cash credits to be applied against purchases. These incentive offers are recorded as reductions in revenues, generally on the date the corresponding revenue is recorded. The Company also accepts payment for orders via gift cards offered on its platform. If a gift card that is not subject to unclaimed property laws is not redeemed, the Company recognizes revenue when the gift card expires or when the likelihood of its redemption becomes remote. Revenues from online and phone delivery orders are recognized when these orders are placed at the restaurants. The amount of revenue recorded by the Company is based on the arrangement with the related restaurant, and is adjusted for any cash credits, including incentive offers provided to restaurants and diners, related to the transaction. The Company also recognizes as revenue any fees charged to the diner for delivery services provided by the Company. Although the Company will process the entire amount of the transaction with the diner, it will record revenue on a net basis because the Company is acting as an agent of the merchant in the transaction. The Company will record an amount representing the restaurant food liability for the net balance due the restaurant. Costs incurred for processing the transactions and providing delivery services are included in operations and support in the consolidated statements of operations. Deferred Rent For the Company’s operating leases, the Company recognizes rent expenses on a straight-line basis over the terms of the leases. Accordingly, the Company records the difference between cash rent payments and the recognition of rent expenses as a deferred rent liability in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has landlord-funded leasehold improvements that are recorded as tenant allowances which are being amortized as a reduction of rent expense over the noncancelable terms of the operating leases. Segments The Company has one reportable segment, which has been identified based on how the chief operating decision maker manages the business, makes operating decisions and evaluates operating performance. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In May 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, which eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with its carrying amount. Under the amendment, an entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. The Company elected to early adopt ASU 2017-04 beginning in the first quarter of 2017 and will apply the standard prospectively. The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment test as of September 30 th In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business” (“ASU 2017-01”). ASU 2017-01 provides that when substantially all the fair value of the assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. The Company elected to adopt ASU 2017-01 early; therefore, ASU 2017-01 is effective for transactions beginning in the first quarter of 2017 on a prospective basis. The Company evaluated current year transactions under the guidance set forth by ASU 2017-01. See Note 3 , Acquisitions , and Note 5 , Goodwill and Acquired Intangible Assets , for details of the Company’s business combinations and other acquired assets during the year ended December 31, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2017-01 did not have, and is not expected to have, a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 adds or clarifies guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows with the intent of reducing diversity in practice related to eight types of cash flows including, among others, debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. In addition, in November 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash” (“ASU 2016-18”). ASU 2016-18 requires companies to include amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in cash and cash equivalents when reconciling beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flow . ASU 2016-15 and ASU 2016-18 are effective for the Company beginning in first quarter of 2018 and early adoption is permitted. The amendments should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The adoption of ASU 2016-15 and ASU 2016-18 may impact the Company’s disclosures but is otherwise not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 introduces a new forward-looking approach, based on expected losses, to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables and held-to-maturity debt securities, which will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU also expands disclosure requirements. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company beginning the first quarter of 2020 and early adoption is permitted. The guidance will be applied using the modified-retrospective approach. The adoption of ASU 2016-13 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In March 2016, the . Under ASU 2016-09, excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recognized as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement. ASU 2016-09 also provides entities with the option to elect an accounting policy to continue to estimate forfeitures of stock-based awards over the service period (current GAAP) or account for forfeitures when they occur . Under ASU 2016-09, previously unrecognized excess tax benefits should be recognized using a modified retrospective transition. In addition, amendments requiring recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the income statement, as well as changes in the computation of weighted-average diluted shares outstanding, should be applied prospectively. ASU 2016-09 is effective for and was adopted by the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2017 :
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During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation of $7.1 million within income tax (benefit) expense on the consolidated statements of operations and within net income on the consolidated statements of cash flows (adopted prospectively) Prior to adoption, the tax effect of stock-based awards was recognized in additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheets and separately stated in financing activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
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The Company has elected to continue to estimate forfeitures of stock-based awards over the service period.
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The Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment for previously unrecognized excess tax benefits of $2.6 million to opening retained
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The excess tax benefits from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares were excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2017 (adopted prospectively). In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. , industry-specific requirements. ASU 2014-09 establishes a five-step revenue recognition process in which an entity will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers. In August 2015, the FASB issued Accounti |
