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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | The unaudited financial information included in this report includes the accounts of FIS and its subsidiaries prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. All adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. This report should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The preparation of these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain reclassifications have been made in the 2017 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) to conform to the classifications used in 2018. Amounts in tables in the financial statements and accompanying footnotes may not sum due to rounding. The Company adopted Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, with a date of initial application of January 1, 2018. As a result, all 2017 financial information has been adjusted for the implementation of Topic 606. We report the results of our operations in three reporting segments: Integrated Financial Solutions (“IFS”), Global Financial Solutions (“GFS”) and Corporate and Other (Note 13).
Revenue Recognition | The Company generates revenues in a number of ways, including from the delivery of account or transaction based processing, professional services, software licensing, software as a service ("SaaS"), business process as a service ("BPaaS"), cloud revenue and software related services. The Company enters into arrangements with customers to provide services, software and software-related services such as maintenance and implementation and training either individually or as part of an integrated offering of multiple services. At contract inception, the Company assesses the solutions and services promised in its contracts with customers and identifies a performance obligation for each promise to transfer to the customer a solution or service (or bundle of solutions or services) that is distinct - i.e., if a solution or service is separately identifiable from other items in the bundled package and if a customer can benefit from it on its own or with other resources that are readily available to the customer. To identify its performance obligations, the Company considers all of the solutions or services promised in the contract regardless of whether they are explicitly stated or are implied by customary business practices. The Company recognizes revenue when or as it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of a solution or service to a customer. Revenue is measured based on the consideration that the Company expects to receive in a contract with a customer. The Company’s contracts with its customers frequently contain variable consideration. Variable consideration exists when the amount which the Company expects to receive in a contract is based on the occurrence or non-occurrence of future events, such as processing services performed under usage-based pricing arrangements or professional services billed on a time and materials basis. Variable consideration is also present in certain transactions in the form of discounts, credits, price concessions, penalties, and similar items. If the amount of a discount or rebate in a contract is fixed and not contingent, that discount or rebate is not variable consideration. The Company estimates variable consideration in its contracts primarily using the expected value method. In some contracts, the Company applies the most likely amount method by considering the single most likely amount in a limited range of possible consideration amounts. The Company develops estimates of variable consideration on the basis of both historical information and current trends. Variable consideration included in the transaction price is constrained such that a significant revenue reversal is not probable. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are not included in revenue. Postage costs associated with print and mail services are accounted for as a fulfillment cost and are included in cost of revenues. Technology or service components from third parties are frequently embedded in or combined with our applications or service offerings. We are often responsible for billing the client in these arrangements and transmitting the applicable fees to the third party. The Company determines whether it is responsible for providing the actual solution or service as a principal, or for arranging for the solution or service to be provided by the third party as an agent. Judgment is applied to determine whether we are the principal or the agent by evaluating whether the Company has control of the solution or service prior to it being transferred to the customer. The principal versus agent assessment is performed at the performance obligation level. Indicators that the Company considers in determining if it has control include whether the Company is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified solution or service to the customer, the Company has inventory risk and the Company has discretion in establishing the price the customer ultimately pays for the solution or service. Depending upon the level of our contractual responsibilities and obligations for delivering solutions to end customers, we have arrangements where we are the principal and recognize the gross amount billed to the customer and other arrangements where we are the agent and recognize the net amount retained. Once the Company has determined the transaction price, the total transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation in a manner depicting the amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the solution(s) or service(s) to the customer (the “allocation objective”). If the allocation objective is met at contractual prices, no allocations are made. Otherwise, the Company allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation identified in the contract on a relative standalone selling price basis, except when the criteria are met for allocating variable consideration or a discount to one or more, but not all performance obligations in the contract. The Company allocates variable consideration to one or more, but not all performance obligations when the terms of the variable payment relate specifically to the Company’s efforts to satisfy the performance obligation (or transfer the distinct solution or service) and when such allocation is consistent with the allocation objective when considering all performance obligations in the contract. Determining whether the criteria for allocating variable consideration to one or more, but not all, performance obligations in the contract requires significant judgment and may affect the timing and amount of revenue recognized. The Company does not typically meet the requirements to allocate discounts to one or more, but not all, performance obligations in a contract. In order to determine the standalone selling price of its promised solutions or services, the Company conducts a regular analysis to determine whether various solutions or services have an observable standalone selling price. If the Company does not have an observable standalone selling price for a particular solution or service, then standalone selling price for that particular solution or service is estimated using all information that is reasonably available and maximizing observable inputs with approaches including historical pricing, cost plus a margin, adjusted market assessment, and residual approach. The following describes the nature of the Company’s primary types of revenues and the revenue recognition policies and significant payment terms as they pertain to the types of transactions the Company enters into with its customers. Processing Services Revenues Processing services are primarily comprised of data processing and application management, including our SaaS, BPaaS, and cloud offerings. Revenues from processing services are typically volume- or activity-based depending on factors such as the number of accounts processed, transactions or trades processed, users, number of hours of services or computer resources used. The payment terms may include tiered pricing structures with the base tier representing a minimum monthly usage fee. Pricing within the tiers typically resets on a monthly basis and minimum monthly volumes are generally met or exceeded. Contract lengths for processing services typically span multiple years. Payment is generally due in advance or in arrears on a monthly or quarterly basis and may include fixed or variable payment amounts depending on the specific payment terms and activity in the period. For processing services revenues, the nature of the Company’s promise to the customer is to stand ready to provide continuous access to the Company’s processing platforms and perform an unspecified quantity of outsourced and transaction-processing services for a specified term or terms. Accordingly, processing services are generally viewed as a stand-ready performance obligation comprised of a series of distinct daily services. The Company typically satisfies its processing services performance obligations over time as the services are provided. A time-elapsed output method is used to measure progress because the Company’s efforts are expended evenly throughout the period given the nature of the promise is a stand-ready service. The Company has evaluated its variable payment terms related to its processing services revenues accounted for as a series of distinct days of service and concluded that they generally meet the criteria for allocating variable consideration entirely to one or more, but not all, performance obligations in a contract. Accordingly, when the criteria are met, variable amounts based on the number and type of services performed during a period are allocated to and recognized on the day in which the Company performs the related services. Fixed fees for processing services are generally recognized ratably over the contract period. Professional Services Revenues Professional services revenues are comprised of implementation, conversion, and programming services associated with the Company’s data processing and application management agreements, implementation or installation services related to licensed software, and other consulting services. A significant portion of our professional services revenues are derived from contracts for dedicated personnel resources who are often working full-time at a client site and under the client's direction. These revenues generally re-occur as contracts are renewed. Payment terms for professional services may be based on an upfront fixed fee, fixed upon the achievement of milestones, or on a time and materials basis. In assessing whether implementation services provided on data processing, application management or software agreements are a distinct performance obligation, the Company considers whether the services are both capable of being distinct (i.e., can the customer benefit from the services alone or in combination with other resources that are readily available to the customer) and distinct within the context of the contract (i.e., separately identifiable from the other performance obligations in the contract). Implementation services and other professional services are typically considered distinct performance obligations. However, when these services involve significant customization or modification of an underlying solution or offering, or if the services are complex and not available from a third-party provider and must be completed prior to a customer having the ability to benefit from a solution or offering, then such services and the underlying solution or offering will be accounted for as a combined performance obligation. The Company’s professional services that are accounted for as distinct performance obligations and that are billed on a fixed fee basis are typically satisfied as services are rendered; thus the Company uses a cost-based input method, such as cost-to-cost or efforts expended (labor hours), to provide a faithful depiction of the transfer of those services. For professional services that are distinct and billed on a time and materials basis, revenue is generally recognized using an output method that corresponds with the time and materials billed and delivered, which is reflective of the transfer of the services to the customer. Professional services that are not distinct from an associated solution or offering are recognized over the common measure of progress for the overall performance obligation (typically a time-elapsed output measure that corresponds to the period over which the solution or offering is made available to the customer). License and Software Related Revenues The Company’s software licenses generally have significant stand-alone functionality to the customer upon delivery and are considered to be functional intellectual property (“IP”). Additionally, the nature of the Company’s promise in granting these software licenses to a customer is typically to provide the customer a right to use the Company’s intellectual property. The Company’s software licenses are generally considered distinct performance obligations, and revenue allocated to the software license is typically recognized at a point in time upon delivery of the license. In conjunction with software licenses, the Company commonly provides the customer with additional services such as maintenance as well as associated implementation and other professional services related to the software license. Payments for maintenance are typically due annually, quarterly, or monthly in advance. Maintenance is typically comprised of technical support and unspecified updates and upgrades. The Company generally satisfies these performance obligations evenly using a time-elapsed output method over the contract term given there is no discernible pattern of performance. When a software license contract also includes professional services that provide significant modification or customization of the software license, the Company combines the software license and professional services into a single performance obligation, and revenue for the combined performance obligation is recognized as the professional services are provided consistent with the methods described above for professional services revenues. The Company has contracts where the licensed software is offered in conjunction with hosting services. The licensed software may be considered a separate performance obligation from the hosting services if the customer can take possession of the software during the contractual term without incurring a significant penalty and if it is feasible for the customer to run the software on its own infrastructure or hire a third party to host the software. If the licensed software and hosting services are separately identifiable, license revenues are recognized when the hosting services commence and it is within the customer's control to obtain a copy of the software, and hosting revenues are recognized using the time-elapsed output method as the service is provided. If the software license is not separately identifiable from the hosting service, then the related revenues for the combined performance obligation are recognized ratably over the hosting period. Occasionally, the Company offers extended payment terms on its license transactions and evaluates whether any potential significant financing components exist. For certain of its business units, the Company will provide a software license through a rental model for customers who would prefer a periodic fee instead of a larger up-front payment. Revenue recognition under these arrangements follow the same recognition pattern as the arrangements outlined above; however, the customer generally pays for the software license and maintenance in monthly or quarterly installments as opposed to an upfront software license fee. Judgment is required to determine whether these arrangements contain a significant financing component. The Company evaluates whether there is a significant difference between the amount of promised consideration over the rental term and the cash selling price of the software license, and the overall impact of the time value of money on the transaction. Rental software license arrangements that include a significant financing component are adjusted for the time value of money at the Company’s incremental borrowing rate by recording a contract asset and interest income. The Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of the time value of money if it is expected, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company transfers a promised solution or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that solution or service will be one year or less. Hardware and Other Revenues Hardware and other miscellaneous revenues are generally recognized at a point in time upon delivery. The Company typically does not stock in inventory the hardware solutions sold but arranges for delivery of hardware from third-party suppliers. The Company determines whether hardware delivered from third-party suppliers should be recognized on a gross or net basis by evaluating whether the Company has control of the solution or service prior to it being transferred to the customer. Material Rights Some of the Company’s contracts with customers include options for the customer to acquire additional solutions or services in the future, including options to renew existing services. Options may represent a material right to acquire solutions or services if the discount is incremental to the range of discounts typically given for those solutions or services to that class of customer in that geographical area or market, and the customer would not have obtained the option without entering into the contract. If deemed to be a material right, the Company will account for the material right as a separate performance obligation and determine the standalone selling price based on directly observable prices when available. If the standalone selling price is not directly observable, then the Company estimates the standalone selling price to be equal to the discount that the customer would obtain by exercising the option, as adjusted for any discount that the customer would receive without exercising the option and for the likelihood that the option will be exercised
Deferred Contract Costs | The Company incurs costs as a result of both the origination and fulfillment of our contracts with customers. Origination costs relate primarily to the payment of sales commissions that are directly related to sales transactions. Fulfillment costs include the cost of implementation services related to SaaS and other cloud-based arrangements when the implementation service is not distinct from the ongoing service. When origination costs and fulfillment costs that will be used to satisfy future performance obligations are directly related to the execution of our contracts with customers, and the costs are recoverable under the contract, the costs are capitalized as a deferred contract cost.
New Accounting Pronouncements | The Company adopted Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, with a date of initial application of January 1, 2018. As a result, the Company has changed its accounting policy for revenue recognition. The details of the significant changes and quantitative impact of the changes are disclosed below. The Company applied Topic 606 retrospectively using certain practical expedients in paragraph 606-10-65-1(f). For completed contracts that have variable consideration, the Company uses the transaction price at the date the contract was completed rather than estimating variable consideration amounts in the comparative reporting periods. Further, the Company does not disclose the amount of consideration allocated to the remaining performance obligations or an explanation of when the Company expects to recognize that amount as revenue for the 2016 and 2015 reporting periods presented before the date of the initial application. Lastly, the Company did not retrospectively restate contracts modified before the beginning of the earliest reporting period presented but reflects the aggregate effect of all modifications that occurred before the beginning of the earliest period presented. Principal vs. Agent Considerations In customer transactions that also involve third parties, the Company determines whether it is responsible for providing the ultimate solution or service as a principal, or whether it is merely arranging for the solution or service to be provided by the third party as an agent. When the Company is acting as a principal in a transaction, the Company recognizes the gross amounts billed as revenue. When the Company is acting as an agent in a transaction, the Company recognizes the net amount retained as revenue. Previously, the Company followed the guidance of Topic 605, which lists eight specific indicators that are determinative in evaluating whether a contract is recorded on a gross or a net basis. Under Topic 606, the determination is based on whether an entity obtains control of goods or services prior to transfer to a customer. The Company determined interchange and third-party network fees associated with certain parts of the payment processing business were significantly impacted by the adoption of Topic 606. Previously, gross accounting applied to certain types of these transactions, depending on the specific facts and circumstances. However, under Topic 606 revenues from these arrangements will be presented on a net basis because the Company has concluded that it is acting as an agent in the transaction. Software License Rentals The Company previously recognized revenue for initial license fees only when a contract existed, the fee was fixed or determinable, software delivery had occurred, collection was deemed probable, and vendor specific objective evidence of fair value had been established for any undelivered elements in the arrangement. If those criteria were not met, the initial license revenue was either deferred or recognized over time depending on the specific facts and circumstances. Software license rentals typically include payments that are delayed for a period of time, causing the Company to conclude that some portion of the license fee was not fixed or determinable. In these arrangements, license revenue would be deferred until payments become due and payable. Under Topic 606, the Company’s software licenses are generally considered distinct performance obligations, and revenue allocated to the software license is typically recognized at a point in time upon delivery of the license. Software license revenue is also typically recognized at a point in time upon delivery of the license under Topic 606 even if it is sold in a rental model or with extended payment terms, provided collectability is probable. Accordingly, a larger portion of software license revenue is recognized upfront for such transactions under Topic 606 than under Topic 605. Term License Early Renewals The Company previously recognized revenue for term software license renewals upon execution of a license renewal contract, provided all other revenue recognition requirements were met. Under Topic 606, revenue attributable to software term license renewals is now recognized at a later date than it would have been recognized under the previous accounting policy.

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