Revenue |
6 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2021 | |
Revenue [Abstract] | |
Revenue | Revenue All of our revenue is derived from contracts with customers and is reported as revenue in the consolidated statements of income generally as, or at the point in time, the performance obligation is satisfied. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to a customer. We have contracts with two general groups of performance obligations: those that require us to stand ready to provide goods and services to a customer to use as and when requested (“Stand Ready Performance Obligations”) and those that do not require us to stand ready (“Other Performance Obligations”). Our Stand Ready Performance Obligations include obligations to stand ready to provide data, process transactions, access our databases, software-as-a-service and direct-to-consumer products, provide rights to use our intellectual property and other services. Our Other Performance Obligations include the sale of certain batch data sets and various professional and other services. Most of our Stand Ready Performance Obligations consist of a series of distinct goods and services that are substantially the same and have the same monthly pattern of transfer to our customers. We consider each month of service in this time series to be a distinct performance obligation and, accordingly, recognize revenue over time. For a majority of these Stand Ready Performance Obligations, the total contractual price is variable because our obligation is to process an unknown quantity of transactions, as and when requested by our customers, over the contract period. We allocate the variable price to each month of service using the time-series concept and recognize revenue based on the most likely amount of consideration to which we will be entitled, which is generally the amount we have the right to invoice. This monthly amount can be based on the actual volume of units delivered or a guaranteed minimum, if higher. Occasionally we have contracts where the amount we will be entitled to for the transactions processed is uncertain, in which case we estimate the revenue based on what we consider to be the most likely amount of consideration we will be entitled to, and adjust any estimates as facts and circumstances evolve. Certain of our Performance Obligations are related to contingent fee based contracts that require us to provide services before we have an enforceable right to payment. For these performance obligations, we recognize revenue at the point in time the contingency is met and we have an enforceable contract and right to payment. For all contracts that include a Stand Ready Performance Obligation with variable pricing, we are unable to estimate the variable price attributable to future performance obligations because the number of units to be purchased is not known. As a result, we use the exception available to forgo disclosures about revenue attributable to the future performance obligations where we recognize revenue using the time-series concept as discussed above, including those qualifying for the right to invoice practical expedient. We also use the exception available to forgo disclosures about revenue attributable to contracts with expected durations of one year or less. Certain of our Other Performance Obligations, including certain batch data sets and certain professional and other services, are delivered at a point in time. Accordingly, we recognize revenue upon delivery, once we have satisfied that obligation. For certain Other Performance Obligations, including certain professional and other services, we recognize revenue over time, based on an estimate of progress towards completion of that obligation. These contracts are not material. In certain circumstances we apply the revenue recognition guidance to a portfolio of contracts with similar characteristics. We use estimates and assumptions when accounting for a portfolio that reflect the size and composition of the portfolio of contracts. Our contracts include standard commercial payment terms generally acceptable in each region, and do not include financing with extended payment terms. We have no significant obligations for refunds, warranties, or similar obligations. Our revenue does not include taxes collected from our customers. Accounts receivable are shown separately on our balance sheet. Contract assets and liabilities result due to the timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections. Contract assets include our right to payment for goods and services already transferred to a customer when the right to payment is conditional on something other than the passage of time, for example, contracts pursuant to which we recognize revenue over time but do not have a contractual right to payment until we complete the contract. Contract assets are included in our other current assets and are not material as of June 30, 2021. As our other contracts with customers generally have a duration of one year or less, our contract liabilities consist of deferred revenue that is primarily short-term in nature. Contract liabilities include current and long-term deferred revenue that is included in other current liabilities and other liabilities. We expect to recognize the December 31, 2020, current deferred revenue balance as revenue during 2021. The majority of our long-term deferred revenue, which is not material, is expected to be recognized in less than two years. For additional disclosures about the disaggregation of our revenue see Note 13, “Reportable Segments.”
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