Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Summary of significant accounting policies [Abstract]

Principles of consolidation: The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of TransAct and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, which require consolidation, after the elimination of intercompany accounts, transactions and unrealized profit.

Use of estimates

Use of estimates: The preparations of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of sales and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Segment reporting

Segment reporting: We apply the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 280, “Segment Reporting.” We view our operations and manage our business as one segment: the design, development and marketing of software-driven technology and printing solutions and providing printer and terminal related software, services, supplies and spare parts. Factors used to identify TransAct’s single operating segment include the organizational structure of the Company and the financial information available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker in making decisions about how to allocate resources and assess performance.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents: We consider all highly liquid investments with a maturity date of three months or less at date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Allowance for doubtful accounts

Allowance for doubtful accounts: We establish an allowance for doubtful accounts to ensure trade receivables are valued appropriately. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts based on a variety of factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, significant one-time events and historical experience. We record a specific allowance for individual accounts when we become aware of a customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, such as in the case of bankruptcy filings or deterioration in the customer’s operating results or financial position. If circumstances related to customers change, we would further adjust estimates of the recoverability of receivables.

The following table summarizes the activity recorded in the valuation account for accounts receivable:

	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2019			2018		2017
Balance, beginning of period	$	205		$	100	$	50
Additions charged to costs and expenses		39			105		50
Deductions		(23	)		-		-
Balance, end of period	$	221		$	205	$	100

Inventories

Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (principally standard cost, which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis) or net realizable value. We review net realizable value based on estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business less estimated costs of completions, disposal and transportation, historical usage and estimates of future demand. Based on these reviews, inventory write-downs are recorded, as necessary, to reflect estimated obsolescence, excess quantities and net realizable value.

Fixed assets

Fixed assets: Fixed assets are stated at cost. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives. The estimated useful life of tooling is five years; machinery and equipment is ten years; furniture and office equipment is five years to ten years; and computer software and equipment is three years to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the term of the lease or the useful life of the asset. Costs related to repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. The costs of sold or retired assets are removed from the related asset and accumulated depreciation accounts and any gain or loss is recognized. Depreciation expense was $1.1 million, $0.9 million and $0.8 million in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Leases

Leases: ASU 2016-02, “Leases”, which was codified in, and is referred to in this Annual Report as, ASC 842, became effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The adoption required a modified retrospective transition approach, applying the new standard to all leases existing at the date of initial application. An entity may choose to use either (1) its effective date or (2) the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements as its date of initial application. The Company has elected to adopt the standard using the effective date, January 1, 2019, as its date of initial application. Consequently, financial information for prior periods will not be updated, and the disclosures required under the new standard will not be provided for dates and periods before January 1, 2019.

The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for based on existing guidance for operating leases. If risks and rewards are conveyed without the transfer of control, the lease is treated as financing. If the lessor does not convey risks and rewards or control, the lease is treated as operating.

We have elected certain practical expedients available under ASC 842 upon adoption. We have applied the practical expedient which allows prospective transition to ASC 842 on January 1, 2019. Under this transition practical expedient, we did not reassess lease classification, embedded leases or initial direct costs. We have applied the practical expedient for short-term leases. We have lease agreements that include lease and non-lease components, and we have not elected the practical expedients to combine these components for any of our leases. The adoption of ASC 842 had no effect on our Consolidated Statement of Income or Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Upon adoption of ASC 842, we recorded a $3.7 million right-of-use asset and a $3.9 million lease liability. The adoption of the new standard had no impact on retained earnings.

We enter into lease agreements for the use of real estate space and certain other equipment under operating leases and we have no financing leases. We determine if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. Our leases are included in Right of use assets and Lease liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Right of use assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Lease right of use assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company determines its incremental borrowing rate by using the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term, an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. Our lease right of use assets exclude lease incentives. Our leases have remaining lease terms of one year to eight years, some of which include options to extend. The majority of our leases with options to extend provide for extensions of up to five years with the ability to terminate the lease within one year. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion and our lease right of use assets and liabilities reflect only the options we are reasonably certain that we will exercise. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Goodwill and Intangible assets

Goodwill and Intangible assets: We acquire businesses in purchase transactions that result in the recognition of goodwill and intangible assets. The determination of the value of intangible assets requires management to make estimates and assumptions. In accordance with ASC 350-20 “Goodwill”, acquired goodwill is not amortized but is subject to impairment testing at least annually and when an event occurs or circumstances change, that indicate it is more likely than not an impairment exists. Factors considered that may trigger an impairment review of either acquired goodwill or intangible assets are: significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results; significant changes in the manner of use of acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business; significant negative industry or economic trends; and significant decline in market capitalization relative to net book value. Finite lived intangible assets are amortized and are tested for impairment when appropriate. We have determined that no goodwill or intangible asset impairment has occurred and the fair value of goodwill was substantially higher than our carrying value based on our assessment as of December 31, 2019 when the impairment review is performed.

Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition: We account for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606: Revenue from Contracts with Customers. We adopted ASC 606 effective January 1, 2018 and elected the modified retrospective approach. The results for periods before 2018 were not adjusted for the new standard and there was no cumulative effect for the change in accounting at the date of adoption. In accordance with ASC 606, a performance obligation is a promise in a contract with a customer to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. Some of our contracts with customers contain a single performance obligation, while other contracts contain multiple performance obligations (most commonly when contracts include a hardware product, software and extended warranties). A contract's transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied.

The transaction price is determined based on the consideration to which the Company will be entitled in exchange for transferring services to the customer. To the extent the transaction price includes variable consideration, such as price protection, reserves for returns and other allowances, the Company estimates the amount of variable consideration that should be included in the transaction price utilizing either the “expected value” method or the “most likely amount” method depending on the nature of the variable consideration. Variable consideration is included in the transaction price if, in the Company’s judgment, it is probable that a significant future reversal of cumulative revenue under the contract will not occur.

For a majority of our revenue, which consists of printers, terminals, consumables, and replacement parts, the Company recognizes revenue as of a point of time. The transaction price is recognized upon shipment of the order when control of the goods is transferred to the customer and at the time the performance obligation is fulfilled. We also sell a software solution in our casino and gaming market, EPICENTRAL™, that enables casino operators to create promotional coupons and marketing messages and to print them in real-time at the slot machine. EPICENTRAL^TM is primarily comprised of both a software component, which is licensed to the customer, and a hardware component. EPICENTRAL™ software and hardware are integrated to deliver the system's full functionality. The transaction prices from EPICENTRAL™ software license and hardware are recognized upon installation and formal acceptance by the customer when control of the license is transferred to the customer. For out-of-warranty repairs, the transaction price is recognized after the repair work is completed and the printer or terminal is returned to the customer, as control of the product is transferred to the customer and our performance obligation is completed.

Performance obligations are satisfied over time if the customer receives the benefits as we perform work, if the customer controls the asset as it is being produced, or if the product being produced for the customer has no alternative use and we have a contractual right to payment. For our separately priced extended warranty, BOHA! cloud-based software applications, technical support for our food service technology terminals and maintenance agreements (including free one-year maintenance received by customers upon completion of EPICENTRAL™ installation) revenue is recognized over time as the customer receives the benefit. The transaction price from the maintenance services is recognized ratably over time, using output methods, as control of the services is transferred to the customer. Our cloud-based BOHA! software allows customers to use hosted software over the contract period without taking possession of the software and are provided on a subscription basis and is recognized ratably over the contract period. For extended warranties, the transaction price is recognized ratably over the warranty period, using output methods, as control of the services is transferred to the customer.

When there is more than one performance obligation in a customer arrangement, the Company typically uses the “standalone selling price” method to determine the transaction price to allocate to each performance obligation. The Company sells the performance obligations separately and has established standalone selling prices for its products and services. In the case of an overall price discount, the discount is applied to each performance obligation proportionately based on standalone selling price. To determine the standalone selling price for initial EPICENTRAL™ installations, the Company uses the adjusted market assessment approach.

For contracts with terms of less than 12 months, the Company expenses sales commissions as they are incurred, since the expected amortization period of the cost to obtain a contract is less than 12 months. Prior to the adoption of ASC 606 in 2018, cost to obtain a contract were expensed as incurred regardless of the length of contract.

Disaggregation of revenue

The following table disaggregates our revenue by market-type, as we believe it best depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of our revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. Sales and usage-based taxes are excluded from revenues.

	Year Ended December 31, 2019
	United States		International		Total
	(In thousands)
Food Service Technology	$	5,522	$	582	$	6,104
POS Automation and Banking		5,714		44		5,758
Casino and Gaming		13,076		8,453		21,529
Lottery		1,290		1		1,291
Printrex		961		205		1,166
TransAct Services Group		8,769		1,131		9,900
Total net sales	$	35,332	$	10,416	$	45,748

	Year Ended December 31, 2018
	United States		International		Total
	(In thousands)
Food Service Technology	$	4,640	$	446	$	5,086
POS Automation and Banking		7,122		151		7,273
Casino and Gaming		17,518		9,075		26,593
Lottery		3,046		47		3,093
Printrex		1,028		269		1,297
TransAct Services Group		10,164		1,081		11,245
Total net sales	$	43,518	$	11,069	$	54,587

	Year Ended December 31, 2017
	United States		International		Total
	(In thousands)
Food Service Technology	$	4,488	$	374	$	4,862
POS Automation and Banking		7,596		309		7,905
Casino and Gaming		13,608		5,007		18,615
Lottery		8,626		1,179		9,805
Printrex		849		203		1,052
TransAct Services Group		13,553		519		14,072
Total net sales	$	48,720	$	7,591	$	56,311

Contract balances

Our contract liabilities consist of customer pre-payments and deferred revenue. Customer prepayments are reported as “Accrued Liabilities” in current liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and represent customer payments made in advance of performance obligations in instances where credit has not been extended and is recognized as revenue when the performance obligation is complete. Deferred revenue is reported separately in current liabilities and non-current liabilities and consists of our extended warranty contracts, technical support for our food service technology terminals, EPICENTRAL™ maintenance contracts and testing service contracts and prepaid software subscriptions for our BOHA! software applications, and is recognized as revenue as (or when) we perform under the contract. The increase in current and non-current deferred revenue is primarily due to the sale of BOHA! software subscriptions, extended warranties and technical support for our food service technology terminals. We do not have any contract asset balances as of December 31, 2019 or 2018. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we recognized revenue of $0.4 million related to our contract liabilities as of December 31, 2018. Total contract liabilities consist of the following:

	December 31, 2019		December 31, 2018
	(In thousands)
Customer pre-payments	$	232	$	50
Deferred revenue, current		700		384
Deferred revenue, non-current		219		265
Total contract liabilities	$	1,151	$	699

Remaining performance obligations

Remaining performance obligations represent the transaction price of firm orders for which a good or service has not been delivered to our customer. As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations was $5.8 million. The Company expects to recognize revenue on $5.5 million of our remaining performance obligations within the next 12 months, $0.2 million within the next 24 months and the balance of these remaining performance obligations recognized within the next 36 months.

Concentration of credit risk

Concentration of credit risk: Financial instruments that potentially expose us to concentrations of credit risk are limited to cash and cash equivalents held by our banks in excess of insured limits and accounts receivable.

Accounts receivable from customers representing 10% or more of total accounts receivable were as follows:

	December 31,
	2019			2018
International Gaming Technology ("IGT")		15	%		21	%
Bally Technologies		10	%		6	%

Sales to customers representing 10% or more of total net sales were as follows:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
IGT		14	%		18	%		35	%

Warranty

Warranty: We generally warrant our products for up to 24 months and record the estimated cost of such product warranties at the time the sale is recorded. Estimated warranty costs are based upon actual past experience of product repairs and the related estimated cost of labor and material to make the necessary repairs.

The following table summarizes the activity recorded in the accrued product warranty liability:

	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Balance, beginning of period	$	273		$	267		$	267
Warranties issued		181			269			259
Warranty settlements		(239	)		(263	)		(259	)
Balance, end of period	$	215		$	273		$	267

$174 thousand and $192 thousand of the accrued product warranty liability were classified as current in Accrued liabilities at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The remaining $41 thousand and $81 thousand of the accrued product warranty liability as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, is classified as long-term in Other liabilities.

Engineering, design and product development

Engineering, design and product development: Engineering, design and product development expenses include expenses incurred in connection with specialized engineering and design to introduce new products and to customize existing products, and are expensed as a component of operating expenses as incurred. We recorded $4.4 million, $4.6 million and $4.3 million of research and development expenses in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Costs incurred in the engineering, design and product development of a computer software product are charged to expense until technological feasibility has been established, at which point all material software costs are capitalized within Intangible assets in our Consolidated Balance Sheet until the product is available for general release to customers. While judgment is required in determining when technological feasibility of a product is established, we have determined that it is reached after all high-risk development issues have been documented in a formal detailed plan design. The amortization of these costs have been included in cost of sales over the estimated life of the product. During 2019 and 2018, we contracted several third-parties to develop software for our food service technology products. Unamortized development costs for such software were $704 thousand as of December 31, 2019. The total amount charged to cost of sales for capitalized software development costs was $186 thousand, $30 thousand and $2 thousand in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Advertising

Advertising: Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses, which are included in selling and marketing expense on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income, for 2019, 2018, and 2017 totaled $1.4 million, $1.0 million and $1.0 million, respectively. These expenses include items such as consulting and professional services, tradeshows, and print advertising.

Income taxes

Income taxes: The income tax amounts reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements are accounted for under the liability method in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We assess the likelihood that net deferred tax assets will be realized from future taxable income, and to the extent that we believe that realization is not likely, we establish a valuation allowance. In accordance with ASC 740, we identified, evaluated and measured the amount of benefits to be recognized for our tax return positions. See Note 10 for information regarding our accounting for income taxes and additional provision items recorded in regard to the Tax Cuts and Job Act.

Foreign currency translation

Foreign currency translation: The financial position and results of operations of our foreign subsidiary in the UK are measured using local currency as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities of such subsidiary have been translated into U.S. dollars at the year-end exchange rate, related sales and expenses have been translated at the exchange rate as of the date the transaction was recognized, and shareholders’ equity has been translated at historical exchange rates. The resulting translation gains or losses, net of tax, are recorded in shareholders’ equity as a cumulative translation adjustment, which is a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses, including those related to intercompany balances, are recognized in Other, net on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Share-based payments

Share-based payments: At December 31, 2019, we have share-based employee compensation plans, which are described more fully in Note 10 - Stock incentive plans. We account for those plans under the recognition and measurement principles of ASC 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Share-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense over the employee’s requisite service period.

We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to calculate the fair value of share based awards. The key assumptions for this valuation method include the expected term of the option, stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield, market price of our underlying stock and exercise price. Many of these assumptions are judgmental and highly sensitive in the determination of compensation expense. Beginning in the first quarter of 2017, we recognize forfeitures as they occur.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, "Compensation-Stock Compensation: Scope of modification accounting". ASU 2017-09 provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in ASC 718. ASU No. 2017-09 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The amendments are applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. We adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2018 and the adoption did not result in a change to our financial statements.

Net income and loss per share

Net income and loss per share: We report net income or loss per share in accordance with ASC 260, “Earnings per Share (EPS).” Under this guidance, basic EPS, which excludes dilution, is computed by dividing income or loss available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. Diluted EPS includes in-the-money stock options using the treasury stock method. During a loss period, the assumed exercise of in-the-money stock options has an anti-dilutive effect, and therefore, these instruments are excluded from the computation of dilutive EPS. See Note 12 - Earnings per share.