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Derivative Financial Instruments
 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Financial Instruments
Note 12—Derivative and Non-derivative Financial Instruments
Derivative Financial Instruments
Designated derivative financial instrument hedges. The Company maintains a rolling cash flow hedge program with the objective of reducing foreign currency exchange rate risk from forecasted net exposures of revenues and expenses derived from and payments made in non-functional currencies during the following twelve months. The aggregate notional amount of the Company's derivative contracts outstanding in its hedge program was $1.6 billion at September 30, 2016 and $1.2 billion at September 30, 2015. The increase in the aggregate notional amounts of the Company's derivative contracts includes the addition of $189 million notional of derivative contracts entered into for Visa Europe after the Closing. As of September 30, 2016, the Company’s cash flow hedges in an asset position totaled $17 million and were classified in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet, while cash flow hedges in a liability position totaled $78 million and were classified in accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. These amounts are subject to master netting agreements, which provide the Company with a legal right to net settle multiple payable and receivable positions with the same counterparty, in a single currency through a single payment. However, the Company presents fair values on a gross basis on the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
To qualify for cash flow hedge accounting treatment, the Company formally documents, at inception of the hedge, all relationships between the hedging transactions and the hedged items, as well as the Company's risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. The Company also formally assesses whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the hedged items and whether those derivatives may be expected to remain highly effective in future periods.
The Company uses regression analysis to assess hedge effectiveness prospectively and retrospectively. The effectiveness tests are performed on the foreign exchange forward contracts based on changes in the spot rate of the derivative instrument compared to changes in the spot rate of the forecasted hedged transaction. Forward points are excluded for effectiveness testing and measurement purposes. The excluded forward points are reported in earnings. For fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, the amounts by which earnings were reduced relating to excluded forward points were $30 million, $29 million and $27 million, respectively.
The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivative contracts is recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss on the consolidated balance sheets. When the forecasted transaction occurs and is recognized in earnings, the amount in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss related to that hedge is reclassified to operating revenue or expense. The Company expects to reclassify $58 million of pre-tax losses to earnings during fiscal 2017.
Non-designated derivative financial instrument hedges. The Company entered into currency forward contracts during the second and third quarters of fiscal 2016 to mitigate a portion of the foreign currency exchange rate risk associated with the upfront cash consideration paid in the Visa Europe acquisition with additional offsetting currency forward contracts entered into subsequently to eliminate its risk-mitigation positions. All contracts matured during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2016. As these contracts were not designated in hedging relationships, related gains and losses were recorded directly in earnings as part of non-operating income in the consolidated financial statements. The Company recorded net gains of $74 million related to these contracts in fiscal 2016.
Subsequent to the acquisition of Visa Europe, the Company entered into currency forward contracts to offset Visa Europe hedges outstanding at the date of the acquisition that did not qualify for cash flow hedge accounting treatment in accordance with U.S. GAAP or the Company’s accounting policy. The fair values of both the original currency forward contracts and the offsetting hedges are classified in prepaid expenses and other current assets, non-current other assets, accrued liabilities and non-current other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
The Company utilizes foreign exchange derivative contracts to hedge against foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations related to certain monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency held by Visa Europe. As of September 30, 2016, the aggregate notional amount of these balance sheet hedges was $1.1 billion. The Company did not have any balance sheet hedges outstanding at September 30, 2015. Gains and losses on the derivative contracts partially offset gains and losses on the hedged monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency. These amounts are recorded in general and administrative in the Company's consolidated statement of operations as these instruments are not designated for hedge accounting.
Credit and market risks. The Company's derivative financial instruments are subject to both credit and market risk. The Company monitors the credit-worthiness of the financial institutions that are counterparties to its derivative financial instruments and does not consider the risks of counterparty nonperformance to be significant. The Company mitigates this risk by entering into master netting agreements, and except for derivative instruments entered into by Visa Europe, such agreements require each party to post collateral against its net liability position with the respective counterparty. As of September 30, 2016, the Company has received collateral of $8 million from counterparties, which is included in accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet, and posted collateral of $54 million, which is included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. Notwithstanding the Company’s efforts to manage foreign exchange risk, there can be no absolute assurance that its hedging activities will adequately protect against the risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations. Credit and market risks related to derivative instruments were not considered significant at September 30, 2016.
Additional disclosures that demonstrate how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity's financial position, financial performance and cash flows have not been presented because the impact of derivative instruments is immaterial to the overall consolidated financial statements.
Non-derivative Financial Instrument Designated as a Net Investment Hedge
The Company designated the euro-denominated deferred cash consideration liability of $1.2 billion (see Note 2—Acquisition of Visa Europe), a non-derivative financial instrument, as a hedge against a portion of the foreign currency exchange rate exposure of the Company's euro-denominated net investment of $18.8 billion in Visa Europe. Changes in the value of the deferred cash consideration liability, attributable to the change in exchange rates at the end of each reporting period, partially offset the foreign currency translation of the Company's net investment recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income in the Company's consolidated balance sheet. Changes in the euro exchange rate against the U.S. dollar from the acquisition date of June 21, 2016 to the balance sheet date of September 30, 2016 resulted in net foreign currency translation adjustments of $218 million.