Revenue Recognition Revenue Recognition (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition and Loyalty Programs

Vacation Ownership

The Company develops, markets, and sells VOIs to individual consumers, provides consumer financing in connection with the sale of VOIs, and provides property management services at resorts. The Company’s sales of VOIs are either cash sales or developer-financed sales. Developer-financed sales are typically collateralized by the underlying VOI. Revenue is recognized on VOI sales upon transfer of control, which is defined as the point in time when a binding sales contract has been executed, the financing contract has been executed for the remaining transaction price, the statutory rescission period has expired, and the transaction price has been deemed to be collectible.

For developer-financed sales, the Company reduces the VOI sales transaction price by an estimate of uncollectible consideration at the time of the sale. The Company’s estimates of uncollectible amounts are based largely on the results of the Company’s static pool analysis which relies on historical payment data by customer class.

In connection with entering into a VOI sale, the Company may provide its customers with certain non-cash incentives, such as credits for future stays at its resorts. For those VOI sales, the Company allocates the sales price between the VOI sale and the non-cash incentive based upon the relative standalone selling price of the performance obligations within the contract. Non-cash incentives generally have expiration periods of two years or less and are recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control.

The Company provides day-to-day property management services including oversight of housekeeping services, maintenance, and certain accounting and administrative services for property owners’ associations and clubs. These services may also include reservation and resort renovation activities. Such agreements are generally for terms of one year or less and are renewed automatically on an annual basis. The Company’s management agreements contain cancellation clauses, which allow for either party to cancel the agreement, by either a majority board vote or a majority vote of non-developer interests. The Company receives fees for such property management services which are collected monthly in advance and are based upon total costs to operate such resorts (or as services are provided in the case of resort renovation activities). Fees for property management services typically approximate 10% of budgeted operating expenses. The Company is entitled to consideration for reimbursement of costs incurred on behalf of the property owners’ association in providing management services (“reimbursable revenue”). These reimbursable costs principally relate to the payroll costs for management of the associations, club and resort properties where the Company is the employer and are reflected as a component of Operating expenses on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company reduces its management fee revenue for amounts it has paid to the property owners’ association that reflect maintenance fees for VOIs for which it retains ownership, as the Company has concluded that such payments are consideration payable to a customer.

Property management fee revenues and reimbursable revenues are recognized when the services are performed and are recorded as a component of Service and membership fees on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

Travel and Membership

Travel and Membership derives a majority of its revenues from membership dues and fees for facilitating members’ trading of their timeshare intervals. Revenues from membership dues represent the fees paid by members or affiliated clubs on their behalf. As a provider of vacation exchange services, the Company enters into affiliation agreements with developers of vacation ownership properties to allow owners of VOIs to trade their intervals for intervals at other properties affiliated with the Company’s vacation exchange network and, for some members, for other leisure-related services and products. The Company recognizes revenues from membership dues paid by the member on a straight-line basis over the membership period as the performance obligations are fulfilled through delivery of publications, if applicable, and by providing access to travel-related products and services. Estimated net contract consideration payable by affiliated clubs for memberships is recognized as revenue over the term of the contract with the affiliated club in proportion to the estimated average monthly member count. Such estimates are adjusted periodically for changes in actual and forecasted member activity. For additional fees, members have the right to exchange their intervals for intervals at other properties affiliated with the Company’s vacation exchange networks and, for certain members, for other leisure-related services and products. The Company also derives revenue from facilitating bookings of travel accommodations that were acquired from various sources. Revenue is recognized when these transactions have been confirmed, net of expected cancellations.

The Company’s vacation exchange business also derives revenues from programs with affiliated resorts, club servicing, and loyalty programs; and additional exchange-related products that provide members with the ability to protect trading power or points, extend the life of deposits, and combine two or more deposits for the opportunity to exchange into intervals with higher trading power. Revenues from other vacation exchange related product fees are deferred and recognized upon the occurrence of a future exchange, event, or other related transaction.

The Company earns revenue from its RCI Elite Rewards co–branded credit card program, which is primarily generated by cardholder spending and the enrollment of new cardholders. The advance payments received under the program are recognized as a contract liability until the Company’s performance obligations have been satisfied. The primary performance obligation for the program relates to brand performance services. Total contract consideration is estimated and recognized on a straight-line basis over the contract term.

Other Items

The Company records property management service revenues for its Vacation Ownership segment and RCI Elite Rewards revenues for its Travel and Membership segment gross as a principal.

In the Company’s Vacation Ownership business, deferred VOI trial package revenue represents consideration received in advance for a trial VOI, which allows customers to utilize a vacation package typically within three years of purchase, but may extend longer for certain programs. Deferred VOI incentive revenue represents payments received in advance for additional travel-related services and products at the time of a VOI sale. Revenue is recognized when a customer utilizes the additional services and products, which is typically within two years of the VOI sale, but may extend longer for certain programs.

Within the Company’s Travel and Membership business, deferred subscription revenue represents billings and payments received in advance from members and affiliated clubs for memberships in the Company’s travel programs which are recognized in future periods. Deferred exchange-related revenue primarily represents payments received in advance from members to book vacation exchanges which are recognized upon the future confirmed transaction. Deferred revenue also includes other leisure-related service and product revenues which are recognized as customers utilize the associated benefits.

Practical Expedients

The Company has not adjusted the consideration for the effects of a significant financing component if it expected, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company will satisfy the performance obligation and when the customer will pay for that good or service will be one year or less.

Capitalized contract costs policy text block [Policy Text Block]

Capitalized Contract Costs

The Vacation Ownership segment incurs certain direct and incremental selling costs in connection with VOI trial package and incentive revenues. Such costs are capitalized and subsequently recognized over the utilization period when usage or expiration occurs, which is typically within three years from the date of sale. The Travel and Membership segment incurs certain direct and incremental selling costs to obtain contracts with customers in connection with subscription revenues and exchange–related revenues. Such costs, which are primarily comprised of commissions paid to internal and external parties and credit card processing fees, are deferred at the inception of the contract and recognized when the benefit is transferred to the customer.