Revenue Recognition

Online travel reservation services

For periods beginning after December 31, 2017, the Company recognizes revenue for travel reservation services when the travel begins rather than when the travel is completed. Substantially all of the Company's revenues are generated by providing online travel reservation services, which principally allows travelers to book travel reservations (e.g., accommodation, rental car and airline ticket reservations) with travel service providers (i.e., a hotel or other accommodation, rental car company or airline) through the Company’s websites and mobile apps. While the Company generally refers to a consumer that books travel reservation services on the Company's platforms as its customer, for accounting purposes, the Company's "customers" are the travel service providers and, in certain merchant transactions, the travelers. The Company's contracts with the travel service providers give them the ability to market their reservation availability without transferring responsibility to deliver the travel service to the Company; therefore, the Company's revenues are presented on a net basis in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. These contracts include payment terms and establish the consideration to which the Company is entitled, which includes either a commission or a margin on the travel transaction. Revenue is measured based on the expected consideration specified in the contract with the travel service provider, considering the effects of sales incentives, "no show" cancellations (where the traveler has not cancelled the reservation and does not arrive on the scheduled reservation date) and "late" cancellations (where the travel service provider accepts a cancellation after its cancellation cut-off date). Estimates for cancellations are based on historical experience.

Online travel reservation services are recorded at a point in time when the Company has completed its post-booking services and the travelers begin using the arranged travel services. These services are classified into two categories:

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Agency revenues are derived from travel-related transactions where the Company does not receive payments from travelers for the travel reservation services provided. The Company invoices the travel service providers for its commissions in the month that travel is completed. Agency revenues consist almost entirely of travel reservation commissions, as well as certain global distribution fees ("GDS"), reservation booking fees and certain travel insurance fees.

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Merchant revenues are derived from services where the Company receives payments from travelers for the travel reservation services provided, generally at the time of booking. The Company records cash collected from travelers, which includes the amounts owed to the travel service providers and the Company’s commission or margin and fees, as deferred merchant bookings until the arranged travel service begins. Merchant revenues include net revenues (i.e., the amount charged to travelers less the amount owed to travel service providers) and travel reservation commissions in connection with our accommodation reservations and rental car services; ancillary fees, including damage excess waiver insurance and certain travel insurance fees and certain GDS reservation booking fees; and customer processing fees. Substantially all merchant revenues are for merchant services derived from transactions where travelers book accommodations reservations or rental car reservations from travel service providers.

Pursuant to the terms of the Company's merchant services, the travel service providers are permitted to bill the Company for the underlying cost of the services during a specified period of time. If the Company is not billed by the travel service providers within the specified period of time, the Company increases its revenue by the unbilled amounts.

Tax Recovery Charge, Occupancy Taxes and State and Local Taxes

For merchant transactions, the Company charges the traveler an amount intended to cover the taxes that the Company anticipates the travel service provider will remit to the local taxing authorities ("tax recovery charge"). Tax rate information for calculating the tax recovery charge is provided to the Company by the travel service providers.

In certain taxing jurisdictions, the Company is required by statute, regulation or court order to collect and remit certain local occupancy tax, general excise and/or sales tax (“transaction-related taxes”) imposed upon its margin and/or service fees. In other taxing jurisdictions, the Company is required to collect from the traveler and remit directly to the taxing jurisdiction transaction-related taxes imposed on the full amount of the transaction, which includes taxes on the margin, service fees and the underlying rate provided by the travel service provider. The rate information for calculating these taxes is provided to the Company directly from the taxing jurisdictions. The taxes collected from travelers are reported on a net basis in Revenues in the Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Advertising and Other Revenues

Advertising and other revenues are primarily recognized by KAYAK and OpenTable and to a lesser extent by priceline for advertising placements on its website and Booking.com's BookingSuite branded accommodation marketing and business analytics services. KAYAK recognizes advertising revenue primarily by sending referrals to online travel companies ("OTCs") and travel service providers and from advertising placements on its websites and mobile apps. Revenue related to referrals is recognized when a customer clicks on a referral placement or upon completion of the travel. Revenue for advertising placements is recognized based upon when a customer clicks on an advertisement or when KAYAK displays an advertisement. OpenTable recognizes reservation fees when diners are seated through its online restaurant reservation service and subscription fees for restaurant management services on a straight-line basis over the contractual period in accordance with how the service is provided.

Loyalty Programs

The Company provides various loyalty programs, where participating travelers or diners are awarded loyalty incentives on current transactions that can be redeemed for future qualifying reservations booked with the travel service provider through the Company's websites or mobile apps or, in the case of OpenTable, at participating restaurants. The estimated fair value of the incentives that are expected to be redeemed is recognized as a reduction of revenues at the time the incentives are granted. In the first quarter of 2018, OpenTable introduced a three-year time-based expiration for points earned by diners, which resulted in a reduction of a portion of the loyalty liability of approximately $27 million. At June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, liabilities of $80.6 million and $104.7 million, respectively, for loyalty incentives were included in "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" in the Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company uses the portfolio approach to account for its loyalty points as the rewards programs share similar characteristics within each program in relation to the value provided to the traveler or diner and their breakage patterns. Using this portfolio approach is not expected to differ materially from applying the guidance to individual contracts.