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Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Use of Estimates [Policy Text Block]
Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (otherwise known as GAAP) requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and revenues and expenses during the period reported. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Basis of Consolidation [Policy Text Block]
Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of NCR and its majority-owned subsidiaries. Long-term investments in affiliated companies in which NCR owns between 20% and 50%, and therefore, exercises significant influence, but which it does not control, are accounted for using the equity method. Investments in which NCR does not exercise significant influence (generally, when NCR has an investment of less than 20% and no significant influence, such as representation on the investee’s board of directors) are accounted for using the cost method. All significant inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated. In addition, the Company is required to determine whether it is the primary beneficiary of economic income or losses that may be generated by variable interest entities in which the Company has such an interest. In circumstances where the Company determined it is the primary beneficiary, consolidation of that entity would be required. For the periods presented, no variable interest entities have been consolidated.
Revenue Recognition [Policy Text Block]
Revenue Recognition The Company records revenue, net of taxes, when it is realized, or realizable, and earned. The Company considers these criteria met when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the products or services have been provided to the customer, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. For product sales, delivery is deemed to have occurred when the customer has assumed risk of loss of the goods sold and all performance obligations are complete. For services sales, revenue is recognized as the services are provided or ratably over the service period, or, if applicable, after customer acceptance of the services.

NCR frequently enters into multiple-element arrangements with its customers including hardware, software, professional consulting services, transaction services and maintenance support services. For arrangements involving multiple deliverables, when deliverables include software and non-software products and services, NCR evaluates and separates each deliverable to determine whether it represents a separate unit of accounting based on the following criteria: (a) whether the delivered item has value to the customer on a stand-alone basis; and (b) if the contract includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item, whether delivery or performance of the undelivered items is considered probable and substantially in the control of NCR.
Consideration is allocated to each unit of accounting based on the units' relative selling prices. In such circumstances, the Company uses a hierarchy to determine the selling price to be used for allocating revenue to each deliverable: (i) vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price (VSOE); (ii) third-party evidence of selling price (TPE); and (iii) best estimate of selling price (BESP). VSOE generally exists only when the Company sells the deliverable separately and is the price actually charged by the Company for that deliverable. VSOE is established for our software maintenance services and we use TPE to establish selling prices for our non-software related services, which include hardware maintenance, non-software related professional services, and transaction services. The Company uses BESP to allocate revenue when we are unable to establish VSOE or TPE of selling price. BESP is primarily used for elements such as products that are not consistently priced within a narrow range. The Company determines BESP for a deliverable by considering multiple factors including product class, geography, average discount, and management's historical pricing practices. Amounts allocated to the delivered hardware and software elements are recognized at the time of sale, provided the other conditions for revenue recognition have been met. Amounts allocated to the undelivered maintenance and other services elements are recognized as the services are provided or on a straight-line basis over the service period. In certain instances, customer acceptance is required prior to the passage of title and risk of loss of the delivered products. In such cases, revenue is not recognized until the customer acceptance is obtained. Delivery and acceptance generally occur in the same reporting period.

In situations where NCR's solutions contain software that is more than incidental, revenue related to the software and software-related elements is recognized in accordance with authoritative guidance on software revenue recognition. For the software and software-related elements of such transactions, revenue is allocated based on the relative fair value of each element, and fair value is determined by VSOE. If the Company cannot objectively determine the fair value of any undelivered element included in such multiple-element arrangements, the Company defers revenue until all elements are delivered and services have been performed, or until fair value can objectively be determined for any remaining undelivered elements. When the fair value of a delivered element has not been established, but fair value evidence exists for the undelivered elements, the Company uses the residual method to recognize revenue. Under the residual method, the fair value of the undelivered elements is deferred and the remaining portion of the arrangement fee is allocated to the delivered elements and is recognized as revenue.

For certain of NCR’s long-term contracts, the Company utilizes a percentage-of-completion accounting method, which requires estimates of future revenues and costs over the full term of product and/or service delivery. Estimated losses, if any, on long-term projects are recognized as soon as such losses become known.

NCR's customers may request that delivery and passage of title and risk of loss occur on a bill and hold basis. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, the revenue recognized from bill and hold transactions approximated 1% or less of total revenue.

In addition to the standard product warranty, the Company periodically offers extended warranties to its customers in the form of product maintenance services. For contracts that are not separately priced but include product maintenance, the Company defers revenue at an amount based on the selling price, using objective and reliable evidence, and recognizes the deferred revenue over the service term. For separately priced product maintenance contracts, NCR defers the stated amount of the separately priced contract and recognizes the deferred revenue ratably over the service term.
Shipping and Handling [Policy Text Block]
Shipping and Handling Costs related to shipping and handling are included in cost of products in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Policy Text Block]
Cash and Cash Equivalents All short-term, highly liquid investments having original maturities to the Company of three months or less, including time deposits, are considered to be cash equivalents.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Restricted Cash Restricted cash consists of deposits that are contractually restricted as to their withdrawal or use. Refer to Note 6, "Debt Obligations," for further discussion.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Policy Text Block]
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts NCR establishes provisions for doubtful accounts using percentages of accounts receivable balances to reflect historical average credit losses and specific provisions for known issues.
Inventories [Policy Text Block]
Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, using the average cost method. Cost includes materials, labor and manufacturing overhead related to the purchase and production of inventories. Service parts are included in inventories and include reworkable and non-reworkable service parts. The Company regularly reviews inventory quantities on hand, future purchase commitments with suppliers and the estimated utility of inventory. If the review indicates a reduction in utility below carrying value, inventory is reduced to a new cost basis. Excess and obsolete write-offs are established based on forecasted usage, orders, technological obsolescence and inventory aging.
Capitalized Software [Policy Text Block]
Capitalized Software Certain direct development costs associated with internal-use software are capitalized within other assets and amortized over the estimated useful lives of the resulting software. NCR typically amortizes capitalized internal-use software on a straight-line basis over four to seven years beginning when the asset is substantially ready for use, as this is considered to approximate the usage pattern of the software. When it becomes probable that internal-use software being developed will not be completed or placed into service, the internal-use software is reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value.

Software to be Sold, Leased, or Otherwise Marketed, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Costs incurred for the development of software that will be sold, leased or otherwise marketed are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established. These costs are included within other assets and are amortized on a sum-of-the-years' digits or straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives ranging from three to five years, using the method that most closely approximates the sales pattern of the software. Amortization begins when the product is available for general release. Costs capitalized include direct labor and related overhead costs. Costs incurred prior to technological feasibility or after general release are expensed as incurred. NCR performs periodic reviews to ensure that unamortized program costs remain recoverable from future revenue. If future revenues do not support the unamortized program costs, the amount by which the unamortized capitalized cost of a software product exceeds the net realizable value is written off.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Policy Text Block]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level for impairment on an annual basis during the fourth quarter or more frequently if certain events occur indicating that the carrying value of goodwill may be impaired. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include a decline in expected cash flows, a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate, a decision to sell a business, unanticipated competition, or slower growth rates, among others.

In the evaluation of goodwill for impairment, we have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary or to perform a quantitative assessment by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. Under the qualitative assessment, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. If under the quantitative assessment the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the amount of the impairment loss, if any, must be measured under step two of the impairment analysis. In step two of the analysis, we will record an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill over its implied fair value should such a circumstance arise. Fair values of the reporting units are estimated primarily using the income approach, which incorporates the use of discounted cash flow (DCF) analyses. A number of significant assumptions and estimates are involved in the application of the DCF model to forecast operating cash flows, including markets and market shares, sales volumes and prices, costs to produce, tax rates, capital spending, discount rate and working capital changes. Most of these assumptions vary among reporting units. The cash flow forecasts are generally based on approved strategic operating plans.

During the fourth quarter of each year presented, we performed our annual impairment assessment of goodwill which did not indicate that an impairment existed.

Acquired intangible assets other than goodwill are amortized over their weighted average amortization period unless they are determined to be indefinite. Acquired intangible assets are carried at cost, less accumulated amortization. For intangible assets purchased in a business combination, the estimated fair values of the assets received are used to establish the carrying value. The fair value of acquired intangible assets is determined using common techniques, and the Company employs assumptions developed using the perspective of a market participant.

Property, Plant and Equipment [Policy Text Block]
Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed over the estimated useful lives of the related assets primarily on a straight-line basis. Machinery and other equipment are depreciated over 3 to 20 years and buildings over 25 to 45 years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the life of the lease or the asset, whichever is shorter. Assets classified as held for sale are not depreciated. Upon retirement or disposition of property, plant and equipment, the related cost and accumulated depreciation or amortization are removed from the Company’s accounts, and a gain or loss is recorded. Depreciation expense related to property, plant and equipment was $83 million, $68 million, and $64 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.
Valuation of Long-Lived Assets [Policy Text Block]
Valuation of Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets such as property, plant and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable or in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. For assets held and used, this analysis consists of comparing the asset’s carrying value to the expected future cash flows to be generated from the asset on an undiscounted basis. If the carrying amount of the asset is determined not to be recoverable, a write-down to fair value is recorded. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows, or external appraisals, as applicable. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment at the individual asset or the asset group level for which the lowest level of independent cash flows can be identified.
Warranty and Sales Returns [Policy Text Block]
Warranty and Sales Returns Provisions for product warranties and sales returns and allowances are recorded in the period in which NCR becomes obligated to honor the related right, which generally is the period in which the related product revenue is recognized. The Company accrues warranty reserves based upon historical factors such as labor rates, average repair time, travel time, number of service calls per machine and cost of replacement parts. When a sale is consummated, a warranty reserve is recorded based upon the estimated cost to provide the service over the warranty period. The Company accrues sales returns and allowances using percentages of revenue to reflect the Company’s historical average of sales return claims.
Research and Development Costs [Policy Text Block]
Research and Development Costs Research and development costs primarily include payroll and benefit-related costs, contractor fees, facilities costs, infrastructure costs, and administrative expenses directly related to research and development support and are expensed as incurred, except certain software development costs are capitalized after technological feasibility of the software is established.
Leases [Policy Text Block]
Leases The Company accounts for material escalation clauses, free or reduced rents and landlord incentives contained in operating type leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including any reasonably assured lease renewals. For leasehold improvements that are funded by the landlord, the Company records the incentive as deferred rent. The deferred rent is then amortized as reductions to lease expense over the lease term. For capital leases where NCR is the lessee, we record an amortizable debt and a related fixed asset in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Pension, Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits [Policy Text Block]
Pension, Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits NCR has significant pension, postretirement and postemployment benefit costs, which are developed from actuarial valuations. Actuarial assumptions are established to anticipate future events and are used in calculating the expense and liabilities relating to these plans. These factors include assumptions the Company makes about interest rates, expected investment return on plan assets, rate of increase in healthcare costs, total and involuntary turnover rates, and rates of future compensation increases. In addition, NCR also uses subjective factors, such as withdrawal rates and mortality rates to develop the Company’s valuations. NCR generally reviews and updates these assumptions on an annual basis. NCR is required to consider current market conditions, including changes in interest rates, in making these assumptions. The actuarial assumptions that NCR uses may differ materially from actual results due to changing market and economic conditions, higher or lower withdrawal rates, or longer or shorter life spans of participants. These differences may result in a significant impact to the amount of pension, postretirement or postemployment benefits expense, and the related assets and liabilities, the Company has recorded or may record.

Foreign Currency [Policy Text Block]
Foreign Currency For many NCR international operations, the local currency is designated as the functional currency. Accordingly, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. Dollars at year-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the year. Currency translation adjustments from local functional currency countries resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates are recorded in other comprehensive income. Where the U.S. Dollar is the functional currency, remeasurement adjustments are recorded in other (expense), net.
Derivative Instruments [Policy Text Block]
Derivative Instruments In the normal course of business, NCR enters into various financial instruments, including derivative financial instruments. The Company accounts for derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value and recognizes the resulting gains or losses as adjustments to earnings or other comprehensive income. The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as the risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. Hedging activities are transacted only with highly rated institutions, reducing exposure to credit risk in the event of nonperformance. Additionally, the Company completes assessments related to the risk of counterparty nonperformance on a regular basis.

The accounting for changes in fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship, and further, on the type of hedging relationship. For those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the Company has designated the hedging instrument, based on the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, a cash flow hedge or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. For derivative instruments designated as fair value hedges, the effective portion of the hedge is recorded as an offset to the change in the fair value of the hedged item, and the ineffective portion of the hedge, if any, is recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges and determined to be highly effective, the gains or losses are deferred in other comprehensive income and recognized in the determination of income as adjustments of carrying amounts when the underlying hedged transaction is realized, canceled or otherwise terminated. When hedging certain foreign currency transactions of a long-term investment nature (net investments in foreign operations) gains and losses are recorded in the currency translation adjustment component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Gains and losses on foreign exchange contracts that are not used to hedge currency transactions of a long-term investment nature, or that are not designated as cash flow or fair value hedges, are recognized in other (expense), net as exchange rates change.
Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities [Policy Text Block]
Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing an amount that would be received to sell an asset or the amount paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, the guidance prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into the following three-tier fair value hierarchy:

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
Level 2: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, unadjusted quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active or inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data

Assets and liabilities are classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurements. The Company reviews the fair value hierarchy classification on a quarterly basis. Changes to the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification of levels for certain securities within the fair value hierarchy.

NCR measures its financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value based on one or more of the following three valuation techniques:

Market approach: Prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities.
Cost approach: Amount that would be required to replace the service capacity of an asset (replacement cost).
Income approach: Techniques to convert future amounts to a single present amount based upon market expectations (including present value techniques, option pricing and excess earnings models).

We regularly review our investments to determine whether a decline in fair value, if any, below the cost basis is other than temporary. If the decline in the fair value is determined to be other than temporary, the cost basis of the security is written down to fair value and the amount of the write-down is included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. For qualifying investments in debt or equity securities, a temporary impairment charge would be recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).
Environmental and Legal Contingencies [Policy Text Block]
Environmental and Legal Contingencies In the normal course of business, NCR is subject to various proceedings, lawsuits, claims and other matters, including, for example, those that relate to the environment and health and safety, labor and employment, employee benefits, import/export compliance, intellectual property, data privacy and security, product liability, commercial disputes and regulatory compliance, among others. Additionally, NCR is subject to diverse and complex laws, regulations, and standards including those relating to corporate governance, public disclosure and reporting, environmental safety and the discharge of materials into the environment, product safety, import and export compliance, data privacy and security, antitrust and competition, government contracting, anti-corruption, and labor and human resources, which are rapidly changing and subject to many possible changes in the future. Compliance with these laws and regulations, including changes in accounting standards, taxation requirements, and federal securities laws among others, may create a substantial burden on, and substantially increase the costs to NCR or could have an impact on NCR’s future operating results. NCR believes that the amounts provided in its Consolidated Financial Statements are adequate in light of the probable and estimable liabilities. However, there can be no assurances that the actual amounts required to satisfy alleged liabilities from various lawsuits, claims, legal proceedings and other matters, including the Fox River and Kalamazoo River environmental matters discussed in Note 10, "Commitments and Contingencies," and to comply with applicable laws and regulations, will not exceed the amounts reflected in NCR’s Consolidated Financial Statements or will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Any costs that may be incurred in excess of those amounts provided as of December 31, 2014 cannot currently be reasonably determined or are not currently considered probable.

Legal fees and expenses related to loss contingencies are typically expensed as incurred, except for certain costs associated with NCR’s environmental remediation obligations. Costs and fees associated with litigating the extent and type of required remedial actions and the allocation of remediation costs among potentially responsible parties are typically included in the measurement of the environmental remediation liabilities.
Advertising [Policy Text Block]
Advertising Advertising costs are recognized in selling, general and administrative expenses when incurred.

Income Taxes [Policy Text Block]
Income Taxes Income tax expense is provided based on income before income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and such amounts recognized for tax purposes. These deferred taxes are determined based on the enacted tax rates expected to apply in the periods in which the deferred assets or liabilities are expected to be settled or realized. NCR records valuation allowances related to its deferred income tax assets when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred income tax assets will not be realized.

The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being sustained upon examination by authorities. Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions are recognized as part of the provision for income taxes and are accrued beginning in the period that such interest and penalties would be applicable under relevant tax law and until such time that the related tax benefits are recognized.
Stock Compensation [Policy Text Block]
Stock Compensation Stock-based compensation represents the costs related to share-based awards granted to employees and non-employee directors. For all periods presented, the Company’s outstanding stock-based compensation awards are classified as equity except for certain awards granted to non-employee directors. The Company measures stock-based compensation cost at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award and recognizes the cost over the requisite service period. See Note 8 "Stock Compensation Plans" for further information on NCR’s stock-based compensation plans.
Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the reported period. The calculation of diluted earnings per share is similar to basic earnings per share, except that the weighted average number of shares outstanding includes the dilution from potential shares resulting from stock options and restricted stock awards. When calculating diluted earnings per share, the Company includes the potential windfall or shortfall tax benefits as well as average unrecognized compensation expense as part of the assumed proceeds from exercises of stock options. The Company uses the tax law ordering approach to determine the potential utilization of windfall benefits. The holders of unvested restricted stock awards do not have nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents and therefore, such unvested awards do not qualify as participating securities. See Note 8, "Stock Compensation Plans," for share information on NCR’s stock compensation plans.