Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Segment Reporting

The Company operates three business segments: Marketing Services; Customer Care; and Fulfillment & Logistics Services. Our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) is considered to be our chief operating decision maker. Our CEO reviews our operating results on an aggregate basis for purposes of allocating resources and evaluating financial performance by using the three financial measures: revenue, operating income (loss) and operating income (loss) plus depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”).

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Harte Hanks, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.  As used in this report, the terms “Harte Hanks,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” may refer to Harte Hanks, Inc., one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, or all of them taken as a whole, as the context may require.

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Interim Financial Information

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 8-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Certain prior period amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been reclassified to conform to the current period's presentation.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses. Actual results and outcomes could differ from those estimates and assumptions. Such estimates include, but are not limited to, estimates related to lease accounting; pension accounting; fair value for purposes of assessing long-lived assets for impairment; income taxes; stock-based compensation; and contingencies. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates based on currently available information. Changes in facts and circumstances could result in revised estimates and assumptions.

Presentation Of Operating Expense In Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income [Policy Text Block]

Operating Expense Presentation in Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) 

The “Labor” line in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) includes all employee payroll and benefits costs, including stock-based compensation, along with temporary labor costs. The “Production and distribution” and “Advertising, selling, general and administrative” lines do not include any labor, depreciation, or amortization expense.

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue upon the transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to receive in exchange for such products or services based on the relevant contract. We apply the following five-step revenue recognition model:

• Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer

• Identification of the performance obligations in the contract

• Determination of the transaction price

• Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract

• Recognition of revenue when (or as) we satisfy the performance obligation

Certain client programs provide for adjustments to billings based upon whether we achieve certain performance criteria. In these circumstances, revenue is recognized when the performance criteria are met. We record revenue net of any taxes collected from customers and subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. Any payments received in advance of the performance of services or delivery of the product are recorded as deferred revenue until such time as the services are performed or the product is delivered. Costs incurred for search engine marketing solutions payable to the engine host and postage costs of mailings are billed to our clients and are not directly reflected in our revenue.

Revenue from all our segments is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customer.  Fees for these services are determined by the terms set forth in each contract. These fees are typically set at a fixed price or rate by transaction occurrence, service provided, time spent, or product delivered.

For arrangements requiring design and build of a database, revenue is not recognized until client acceptance occurs. Up-front fees billed during the setup phase for these arrangements are deferred and direct build costs are capitalized. Pricing for these types of arrangements is typically based on a fixed price determined in the contract. Revenue from other database marketing solutions is recognized ratably over the contractual service period. Pricing for these services is typically based on a fixed price per month or per contract.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, (“ASC 820”) defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used in valuation methodologies into three levels:

Level 1 Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Because of their maturities and/or variable interest rates, certain financial instruments have fair values approximating their carrying values. These instruments include cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, accounts receivable, trade payables, and long-term debt.  The fair value of the assets in our funded pension plan is disclosed in Note H, Employee Benefit Plans.

Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]

Leases

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at its inception. Operating and finance leases are included in the lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and in the current portion and long-term portion of lease liabilities on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of each lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date of each lease to determine the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU assets also include any lease payments made and exclude lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease, which are included in the lease ROU assets when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For certain real estate leases, we account for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component.