Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Travelzoo® provides our members insider deals and one-of-a-kind experiences personally reviewed by one of our deal experts around the globe. With more than 25 offices worldwide, we have our finger on the pulse of outstanding travel, entertainment, and lifestyle experiences. For over 15 years we have worked in partnership with top travel suppliers—our long-standing relationships give Travelzoo members access to the very best deals. Travelzoo's revenues are generated primarily from advertising fees.

Our publications and products include the Travelzoo website, the Travelzoo iPhone and Android apps, the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter, the Newsflash e-mail alert service, and the Travelzoo Network, a network of third-party websites that list travel deals published by Travelzoo. The Travelzoo website includes Local Deals and Getaway listings that allow our members to purchase vouchers for deals from local businesses such as spas, hotels and restaurants. We receive a percentage of the face value of the voucher from the local businesses.

Ralph Bartel, who founded Travelzoo (the "Company") and who is a Director of the Company is the sole beneficiary of the Ralph Bartel 2005 Trust, which is the controlling shareholder of Azzurro Capital Inc. ("Azzurro"). As of December 31, 2018, Azzurro is the Company's largest stockholder, holding approximately 50.5% of the Company's outstanding shares.

During the first quarter of 2017, the Company discontinued operations of its SuperSearch and Fly.com products to focus on its global Travelzoo® brand and reflected the revenues and expenses for these products as discontinued operations, net of taxes, for the current and prior periods presented. See "Note 11: Discontinued Operations" for further information.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States (“U.S.”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Management of the Company has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. Significant estimates included in the consolidated financial statements and related notes include revenue recognition, income taxes, stock-based compensation, loss contingencies, and useful lives of property, plant and equipment. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenues when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to its customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

The Company generates revenues primarily by delivering advertising on the Travelzoo website, in the Top 20 email newsletter, in Newsflash and from the Travelzoo Network. The Company also generates transaction-based revenues from the sales of vouchers through our Local Deals and Getaway e-mail alert services and providing hotel bookings. The Company's disaggregated revenues are included in "Note 10: Segment Reporting and Significant Customer Information".

For fixed-fee website advertising, the Company recognizes revenues ratably over the contracted placement period.

For Top 20 email newsletter and other email products, the Company recognizes revenues when the emails are delivered to its members.

The Company offers advertising on a cost-per-click basis, which means that an advertiser pays the Company only when a user clicks on an ad on Travelzoo properties or Travelzoo Network members’ properties. For these customers, the Company recognizes revenues each time a user clicks on the ad.

The Company also offers advertising on other bases, such as cost-per-impression, which means that an advertiser pays the Company based on the number of times their advertisement is displayed on Travelzoo properties, email advertisements, Travelzoo Network properties, or social media properties. For these customers, the Company recognizes revenues each time an ad is displayed or email delivered.

For transaction based revenues, including products such as Local Deals, Getaway and hotel platform, the Company evaluates whether it is the principal (i.e., report revenue on a gross basis) versus an agent (i.e., report revenue on a net basis). The Company reports transaction revenue on a net basis because the supplier is primarily responsible for providing the underlying service and we do not control the service provided by the supplier prior to its transfer to the customer.

For Local Deals and Getaway products, the company earns a fee for acting as an agent for the sale of vouchers that can be redeemed for services with third-party merchants. Revenues are presented net of the amounts due to the third-party merchants for fulfilling the underlying services. Certain merchant contracts allow the Company to retain the proceeds from unredeemed vouchers. With these contracts, the Company estimates the value of vouchers that will ultimately not be redeemed and records the estimate in the same period as the voucher sale.

Commission revenue related to our hotel platform is recognized ratably over the period of guest stay, net of an allowance for cancellations based upon historical patterns. For arrangements for booking non-cancelable reservations where the Company’s performance obligation is deemed to be the successful booking of a hotel reservation, we record revenue for the commissions upon completion of the hotel booking.

The Company’s contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations in which the Company allocates revenues to each performance obligation based on its standalone selling price. The Company determines standalone selling price based on its overall pricing objectives, taking into consideration the type of services, geographical region of the customers, normal rate card pricing and customary discounts. Standalone selling price is generally determined based on the prices charged to customers when the product is sold separately.

The Company relies upon the following practical expedients and exemptions allowed for in the revenue recognition accounting standard. The Company expenses sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period would have been one year or less. These costs are recorded in sales and marketing expenses. In addition, the Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (a) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (b) contracts for which it recognizes revenues at the amount to which it has the right to invoice for services performed.

Reserve for Refunds to Member

Reserve for Refunds to Members

The Company records an estimated reserve for refunds to members based on our historical experience at the time revenue is recorded for Local Deals and Getaway voucher sales. We accrue costs associated with refunds in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets. We consider many key factors such as the historical refunds based upon the time lag since the sale, historical reasons for refunds, time period that remains until the deal expiration date, any changes in refund procedures and estimates of redemptions and breakage. Should any of these factors change, the estimates made by management will also change, which could impact the level of our future reserve for refunds to member. Specifically, if the financial condition of our advertisers, the business that is providing the vouchered service, were to deteriorate, affecting their ability to provide the services to our members, additional reserves for refunds to members may be required.

Estimated member refunds that are determined to be recoverable from the merchant are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as a reduction to revenue. We accrue costs associated with refunds in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets. Estimated member refunds that are determined not to be recoverable from the merchant, are presented as a cost of revenue. If our judgments regarding estimated member refunds are inaccurate, reported results of operations could differ from the amount we previously accrued.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company records a provision for doubtful accounts based on its historical experience of write-offs and a detailed assessment of our accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts. In estimating the provision for doubtful accounts, management considers the age of the accounts receivable, historical write-offs, the creditworthiness of the advertiser, the economic conditions of the advertiser’s industry, and general economic conditions, among other factors. Should any of these factors change, the estimates made by management will also change, which could impact the level of the future provision for doubtful accounts. Specifically, if the financial condition of our advertisers were to deteriorate, affecting their ability to make payments, additional provision for doubtful accounts may be required.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Online advertising is expensed as incurred over the period the advertising is displayed.

Operating Leases

The Company leases facilities and equipment under various operating leases. These lease agreements generally include rent holidays, rent escalation clauses and renewal periods at the Company's option. The Company recognizes expense for scheduled rent increases on a straight-line basis over the lease term beginning with the date it takes possession of the leased facilities and equipment. Leasehold improvements made either at the inception of the lease or during the lease term are amortized over the current lease term, or estimated life, if shorter.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for its employee stock options under the fair value method, which requires stock-based compensation to be estimated using the fair value on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is expected to vest is recognized as expense over the related employees’ requisite service periods in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. See Note 8 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a further discussion on stock-based compensation.

Foreign Currency

All foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective countries as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Revenues, costs and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates for the period. Gains and losses resulting from translation are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Realized gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are recognized as gain or loss on foreign currency in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, along with net operating loss carryforwards and credit carryforwards, if it is more likely than not that the tax benefits will be realized. To the extent a deferred tax asset cannot be recognized under the preceding criteria, valuation allowances must be established. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

Significant judgment is required in evaluating the Company's uncertain tax positions and determining the Company's provision for income taxes. Although the Company believes it has adequately reserved for its uncertain tax positions, no assurance can be given that the final tax outcome of these matters will not be different. The Company adjusts these reserves in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress or closing of a tax audit or the refinement of an estimate. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is different than the amounts recorded, such differences will impact the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made. The provision for income taxes includes the impact of reserve provisions and changes to reserves that are considered appropriate, as well as the related net interest.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of two components, net income and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to certain changes in equity that are excluded from net income. For the Company, other comprehensive income (loss) includes foreign currency translation adjustments. Total comprehensive income (loss) for all periods presented has been disclosed in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

Certain Risks and Uncertainties

The Company’s cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable are potentially subject to concentration of credit risk. Cash and cash equivalents are placed with financial institutions that management believes are of high credit quality. The accounts receivable are derived from revenue earned from customers located in the U.S. and internationally.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less on the date of purchase.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Additions and improvements are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. The Company also includes in fixed assets the capitalized cost of internal-use software and website development, including software used to upgrade and enhance its website and processes supporting the Company’s business in accordance with the framework established by the FASB accounting guidance for accounting for the cost of computer software developed or obtained for internal use and accounting for website development costs. Costs incurred in the planning stage and operating stage are expensed as incurred while costs incurred in the application development stage and infrastructure development stage are capitalized, assuming such costs are deemed to be recoverable.

Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Estimated useful lives are 3 to 5 years for computer hardware and software, capitalized internal-use software and website development costs, and office equipment and office furniture. The Company depreciates leasehold improvements over the term of the lease or the estimated useful life of the asset, whichever is shorter.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company accounts for long-lived assets in accordance with the accounting standard relating to impairment of long-lived assets, which requires an impairment loss to be recognized on assets to be held and used if the carrying amount of a long-lived asset group is not recoverable from its undiscounted cash flows. The amount of the impairment loss is measured as the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset group. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Note Yet Adopted & Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an accounting standard update ASU 2016-02, "Leases," codified in Accounting Standard Codification 842 ("ASC 842"), which requires that lease arrangements longer than 12 months result in an entity recognizing an asset and liability on its balance sheet. ASU 2016-02 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. This accounting standard update will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. For operating leases with terms longer than 12 months, the Company will recognize a lease liability for the obligation to make lease payments and a right-of-use asset for the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, "Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases" and ASU 2018-11, "Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements." ASU No. 2018-10 made improvements to many aspects of the guidance in ASC 842. ASU 2018-11 made transition requirements less burdensome and provided lessors with a practical expedient for separating non-lease components from lease components. Entities may elect not to recast the comparative periods presented when transitioning to ASC 842. ASU No. 2018-10 has the same effective date and transition requirements as ASC 842. ASU No. 2018-11 has the same effective date as ASC 842 for companies that have not early adopted ASC 842. For companies that have early adopted ASC 842, it is effective upon issuance, but can only be adopted by companies either at the beginning of the company’s first reporting period after issuance or the company’s mandatory ASC 842 effective date. The Company expects to elect the transition package expedients and the optional transition method for adoption. The Company is still in the process of finalizing its evaluation of the effect of ASC 842 on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures. The Company will finalize its accounting assessment and quantitative impact of the adoption during the first quarter of fiscal year 2019.

In February 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2018-02, "Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income," which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, eliminating the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. However, the new guidance only applies to the tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and does not change the underlying guidance to recognize the effect of a change in tax laws or rates in income from continuing operations. The amendments are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement." Entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but public companies will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. The guidance also modifies certain disclosure requirements for nonpublic entities to make them less burdensome. ASU No. 2018-13 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and for interim periods within those fiscal years, but entities are permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify the requirements. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, "Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract." The new guidance required a customer in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract to follow the internal-use software guidance in ASC 350-40 to determine which implementation costs to capitalize as assets or expense as incurred. The guidance is effective for calendar-year public business entities in 2020. For all other calendar-year entities, it is effective for annual periods beginning in 2021 and interim periods in 2022. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

(p) Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, "Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments," which addresses eight classification issues related to the statement of cash flows. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, "Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash," which addresses classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. The standard requires that restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be included as components of total cash and cash equivalents as presented on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 and ASU 2016-18 using a retrospective transition method effective January 1, 2018 and applied to the periods presented on the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Restricted cash includes cash and cash equivalents that is restricted through legal contracts, regulations or our intention to use the cash for a specific purpose. Our restricted cash primarily relates to refundable deposits and funds held in escrow.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets to the total amounts shown in the statements of cash flows:



	December 31,		December 31,
	2018		2017
Cash and cash equivalents	$	18,017	$	22,553
Restricted cash	1,444		1,448
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in the consolidated statements of cash flow	$	19,461	$	24,001

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-09 will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. This new accounting standard is effective for the Company for annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (as amended in August 2015 by ASU 2015-14, "Deferral of the Effective Date"). In December 27, 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-20, "Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers," which addresses loan guarantee fees, impairment testing of contract costs, provisions for losses on construction-type and production-type contracts, and various disclosures. ASU 2016-20 will go into effect once ASU 2014-09 takes effect. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method, which was only applied to contracts that were not completed as of the adoption date, with a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings.

The cumulative effect of the revenue accounting changes made to the Company's consolidated balance sheet as of January 1, 2018 primarily consists of a decrease in accounts payable related to the merchant payable of $1.6 million and a decrease of $270,000 of net deferred tax assets for a net cumulative effect increase of retained earnings of $1.3 million. These changes were due primarily to the new revenue guidance requirement to recognize revenue related to unredeemed Local Deals and Getaway vouchers for selected deals, included in our Europe segment, based upon estimates at the time of sale of the vouchers rather than the Company's past practice of waiting to recognize this revenue until expiration of the legal obligation.

The changes in revenue recognition policies under the new revenue guidance were primarily the change described above for unredeemed vouchers as well as recognizing cancelable hotel platform commissions over the period of the hotel stay versus previously upon checkout; the impact of these changes to the Company's consolidated financial statements was not material for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Deferred revenue primarily consists of customer prepayments and undelivered performance obligations related to the Company’s contracts with multiple performance obligations. At January 1, 2018, $825,000 was recorded as deferred revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized revenue of $693,000 of the January 1, 2018 deferred revenue balance. At December 31, 2018, the deferred revenue balance was $1.3 million.

Net Income Per Share

Basic net income per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by adjusting the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares included in the diluted calculation consist of incremental shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options calculated using the treasury stock method.