CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,005,823	$ 1,335,855
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $1,949 and $1,827, respectively	288,101	301,887
Settlement processing assets	2,650,113	2,459,292
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	213,841	206,545
Total current assets	4,157,878	4,303,579
Goodwill	5,714,945	5,703,992
Other intangible assets, net	2,096,261	2,181,707
Property and equipment, net	599,774	588,348
Deferred income taxes	11,420	13,146
Other noncurrent assets	323,019	207,297
Total assets	12,903,297	12,998,069
Current liabilities:
Settlement lines of credit	447,617	635,166
Current portion of long-term debt	107,479	100,308
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,039,379	1,039,607
Settlement processing obligations	2,314,444	2,040,509
Total current liabilities	3,908,919	3,815,590
Long-term debt	4,176,851	4,559,408
Deferred income taxes	452,470	436,879
Other noncurrent liabilities	225,267	220,961
Total liabilities	8,763,507	9,032,838
Commitments and contingencies
Equity:
Preferred stock, no par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized and none issued	0	0
Common stock, no par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 159,532,631 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2018 and 159,180,317 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017	0	0
Paid-in capital	2,390,022	2,379,774
Retained earnings	1,738,545	1,597,897
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(176,961)	(183,144)
Total Global Payments shareholders’ equity	3,951,606	3,794,527
Noncontrolling interests	188,184	170,704
Total equity	4,139,790	3,965,231
Total liabilities and equity	$ 12,903,297	$ 12,998,069

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and due within one year (or the operating cycle, if longer), including liabilities incurred (and for which invoices have typically been received) and payable to vendors for goods and services received, taxes, interest, rent and utilities, accrued salaries and bonuses, payroll taxes and fringe benefits.

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer), for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.