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Other Liabilities
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Text Block Abstract  
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 10

Other Liabilities

The following is a summary of Other liabilities as of December 31:

(Millions)  2017  2016
Membership Rewards liability  $7,751  $7,060
Book overdraft balances2,8372,255
Employee-related liabilities(a)2,277  2,055
Repatriation tax liability(b)1,703―
Card Member rebate and reward accruals(c)1,564  1,382
Deferred card and other fees, net  1,554  1,411
Other(d)4,4624,614
Total  $22,148  $18,777

  • Employee-related liabilities include employee benefit plan obligations and incentive compensation.
  • Refer to Note 21 for additional information.
  • Card Member rebate and reward accruals include payments to third-party reward partners and cash-back rewards.
  • Other includes accruals for general operating expenses, client incentives, merchant rebates, payments to third-party card-issuing partners, marketing and promotion, restructuring and reengineering reserves, QAH unfunded commitments and derivatives.

Membership Rewards

The Membership Rewards program allows enrolled Card Members to earn points that can be redeemed for a broad range of rewards including travel, shopping, gift cards, and covering eligible charges. The Company records a balance sheet liability that represents management’s best estimate of the cost of points earned that are expected to be redeemed in the future. The weighted average cost (WAC) per point and the Ultimate Redemption Rate (URR) are key assumptions used to estimate the Membership Rewards liability.

The expense for Membership Rewards points is included in Card Member rewards expense. The Company periodically evaluates its liability estimation process and assumptions based on developments in redemption patterns, cost per point redeemed, partner contract changes and other factors.

Deferred Card and Other Fees, Net

The carrying amount of deferred card and other fees, net of deferred direct acquisition costs and reserves for membership cancellations as of December 31, was as follows:

(Millions)  20172016
Deferred card and other fees(a)  $1,996$1,767
Deferred direct acquisition costs  (280)(204)
Reserves for membership cancellations  (162)(152)
Deferred card and other fees, net$1,554$1,411

Includes deferred fees for Membership Rewards program participants.