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Equipment Installment Plans | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2017
Receivables [Abstract] |
Equipment Installment Plans | Note 3 Equipment Installment Plans TDS sells devices to customers under equipment installment contracts over a specified time period. For certain equipment installment plans, after a specified period of time or amount of payments, the customer may have the right to upgrade to a new device and have the remaining unpaid equipment installment contract balance waived, subject to certain conditions, including trading in the original device in good working condition and signing a new equipment installment contract. TDS values this trade-in right as a guarantee liability. The guarantee liability is initially measured at fair value and is determined based on assumptions including the probability and timing of the customer upgrading to a new device and the fair value of the device being traded-in at the time of trade-in. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the guarantee liability related to these plans was $27 million and $33 million, respectively, and is reflected in Customer deposits and deferred revenues in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. TDS equipment installment plans do not provide for explicit interest charges. Because equipment installment plans have a duration of greater than twelve months, TDS imputes interest. TDS records imputed interest as a reduction to the related accounts receivable and recognizes it over the term of the installment agreement. Equipment installment plan receivables had a weighted average effective imputed interest rate of 11.6% and 11.2% as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The following table summarizes equipment installment plan receivables as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.
|  | March 31, 2017 |  | December 31, 2016
(Dollars in millions) |  |  |  |  |  |
Equipment installment plan receivables, gross |  | $ | 661 |  | $ | 628
Deferred interest |  |  | (57) |  |  | (53)
Equipment installment plan receivables, net of deferred interest |  |  | 604 |  |  | 575
Allowance for credit losses |  |  | (53) |  |  | (50)
Equipment installment plan receivables, net |  | $ | 551 |  | $ | 525
Net balance presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable — Due from customers and agents (Current portion) |  | $ | 356 |  | $ | 345
Other assets and deferred charges (Non-current portion) |  |  | 195 |  |  | 180
Equipment installment plan receivables, net |  | $ | 551 |  | $ | 525
TDS uses various inputs, including internal data, information from the credit bureaus and other sources, to evaluate the credit profiles of its customers. From this evaluation, a credit class is assigned to the customer that determines the number of eligible lines, the amount of credit available, and the down payment requirement, if any. Customers assigned to credit classes requiring no down payment represent a lower risk category, whereas those assigned to credit classes requiring a down payment represent a higher risk category. The balance and aging of the equipment installment plan receivables on a gross basis by credit category were as follows:
|  | March 31, 2017 |  | December 31, 2016
|  | Lower Risk |  | Higher Risk |  | Total |  | Lower Risk |  | Higher Risk |  | Total
(Dollars in millions) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unbilled |  | $ | 582 |  | $ | 44 |  | $ | 626 |  | $ | 553 |  | $ | 38 |  | $ | 591
Billed — current |  |  | 20 |  |  | 2 |  |  | 22 |  |  | 23 |  |  | 2 |  |  | 25
Billed — past due |  |  | 10 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 13 |  |  | 10 |  |  | 2 |  |  | 12
Equipment installment plan receivables, gross |  | $ | 612 |  | $ | 49 |  | $ | 661 |  | $ | 586 |  | $ | 42 |  | $ | 628
The activity in the allowance for credit losses balance for the equipment installment plan receivables was as follows:
|  | March 31, 2017 |  | March 31, 2016
(Dollars in millions) |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period |  | $ | 50 |  | $ | 26
Bad debts expense |  |  | 15 |  |  | 11
Write-offs, net of recoveries |  |  | (12) |  |  | (9)
Allowance for credit losses, end of period |  | $ | 53 |  | $ | 28

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- Definition The entire disclosure for financing receivables. Examples of financing receivables include, but are not limited to, loans, trade accounts receivables, notes receivable, credit cards, and receivables relating to a lessor's right(s) to payment(s) from a lease other than an operating lease that is recognized as assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 14 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=32702940&loc=SL6953791-111525 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66008989&loc=d3e4975-111524 + Details
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