Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Organization

Organization

MasterCard Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries, including MasterCard International Incorporated (“MasterCard International” and together with MasterCard Incorporated, “MasterCard” or the “Company”), is a technology company in the global payments industry that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses worldwide, enabling them to use electronic forms of payment instead of cash and checks. The Company facilitates the processing of payment transactions including authorization, clearing and settlement, and delivers related products and services. The Company makes payments easier and more efficient by creating a wide range of payment solutions and services through a family of well-known brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®. The Company also provides value-added offerings such as loyalty and reward programs, information services and consulting. The Company’s network is designed to ensure safety and security for the global payments system. A typical transaction on the Company’s network involves four participants in addition to the Company: cardholder, merchant, issuer (the cardholder’s financial institution) and acquirer (the merchant’s financial institution). The Company’s customers encompass a vast array of entities, including financial institutions and other entities that act as “issuers” and “acquirers”, as well as merchants, governments, telecommunication companies and other businesses. The Company does not issue cards, extend credit, determine or receive revenue from interest rates or other fees charged to cardholders by issuers, or establish the rates charged by acquirers in connection with merchants’ acceptance of the Company’s branded cards.

Consolidation and basis of presentation

Consolidation and basis of presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MasterCard and its majority-owned and controlled entities, including any variable interest entities (“VIEs”) for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. As of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there were no significant VIEs which required consolidation. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2016 presentation. The Company follows accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

The balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2015. The consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 and as of June 30, 2016 are unaudited, and in the opinion of management, include all normal recurring adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the results for interim periods. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirements for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Reference should be made to the MasterCard Incorporated Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 for additional disclosures, including a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies.

Non-controlling interest amounts are included in the consolidated statement of operations within other income (expense). For the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, activity from non-controlling interests was insignificant.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent accounting pronouncements

Share-Based Payments - In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued accounting guidance related to share-based payments to employees. Under this guidance, companies will be required to recognize the income tax effects of awards in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled (i.e., additional paid-in-capital pools will be eliminated). In addition, the guidance changes the limit that companies are allowed to withhold for employees without triggering liability accounting and allows companies to make a policy election to either recognize forfeitures as they occur or estimate them. The guidance is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is permitted. The required transition methods for each aspect of the guidance varies between prospective, retrospective and modified retrospective. The Company will adopt the accounting guidance effective January 1, 2017 and is in the process of evaluating the potential effects this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Leases - In February 2016, the FASB issued accounting guidance that will change how companies account for and present lease arrangements. The guidance requires companies to recognize leased assets and liabilities for both capital and operating leases. The guidance is effective for periods after December 15, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. Companies are required to adopt the guidance on a modified retrospective method. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential effects this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Debt Issuance Costs - In April 2015, the FASB issued accounting guidance that changed the current presentation of debt issuance costs on the balance sheet. This guidance moved debt issuance costs from the assets section of the balance sheet to the liabilities section as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt issued. The Company adopted the accounting guidance effective January 1, 2016. The Company applied the guidance retrospectively and, as such, the December 31, 2015 balance sheet was adjusted to reflect the effects of the standard. This retrospective adjustment resulted in reductions of prepaid expenses and other current assets, other assets and long-term debt by $1 million, $18 million and $19 million, respectively. As of June 30, 2016, $18 million of debt issuance costs were classified as an offset to long-term debt.

Revenue Recognition - In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance that provides a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers and supersedes most of the existing revenue recognition requirements. Under this guidance, an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued accounting guidance that delayed the effective date of this standard by one year, making the guidance effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company will adopt the accounting guidance effective January 1, 2018. The accounting guidance permits either a full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential effects this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and which method of adoption it will select.