i3 Verticals, Inc.IIIV
i3 Verticals, Inc. Revenue Disclosure
Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue
For the year ended September 30, 2020, revenue is recognized as each performance obligation is satisfied, in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). The Company accrues for rights of refund, processing errors or penalties, or other related allowances based on historical experience. The Company utilized the portfolio approach practical expedient within ASC 606-10-10-4 Revenue from Contracts with Customers—Objectives and the significant financing component practical expedient within ASC 606-10-32-18 Revenue from Contracts with Customers—The Existence of a Significant Financing Component in the Contract in performing the analysis. The Company adopted ASC 606 on October 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective method and applying the standard to all contracts not completed on the date of adoption. Results for the reporting period beginning October 1, 2019 are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with the Company's historic accounting practices under previous guidance.
The majority of the Company's revenue for the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 is derived from volume-based payment processing fees (“discount fees”) and other related fixed transaction or service fees. The remainder is comprised of sales of software licensing subscriptions, ongoing support, and other POS-related solutions the Company provides to its clients directly and through its processing bank relationships.
Discount fees represent a percentage of the dollar amount of each credit or debit transaction processed or a specified per transaction amount, depending on the card type. The Company frequently enters into agreements with clients under which the client engages the Company to provide both payment authorization services and transaction settlement services for all of the cardholder transactions of the client, regardless of which issuing bank and card network to which the transaction relates. The Company’s core performance obligations are to stand ready to provide continuous access to the Company’s payment authorization services and transaction settlement services in order to be able to process as many transactions as its clients require on a daily basis over the contract term. These services are stand ready obligations, as the timing and quantity of transactions to be processed is not determinable. Under a stand-ready obligation, the Company’s performance obligation is defined by each time increment rather than by the underlying activities satisfied over time based on days elapsed. Because the service of standing ready is substantially the same each day and has the same pattern of transfer to the client, the Company has determined that its stand-ready performance obligation comprises a series of distinct days of service. Discount fees are recognized each day based on the volume or transaction count at the time the merchants’ transactions are processed.
The Company follows the requirements of ASC 606-10-55 Revenue from Contracts with Customers—Principal versus Agent Considerations, which states that the determination of whether a company should recognize revenue based on the gross amount billed to a client or the net amount retained is a matter of judgment that depends on the facts and circumstances of the arrangement. The determination of gross versus net recognition of revenue requires judgment that depends on whether the Company controls the good or service before it is transferred to the merchant or whether the Company is acting as an agent of a third party. The assessment is provided separately for each performance obligation identified. Under its agreements, the Company incurs interchange and network pass-through charges from the third-party card issuers and card networks, respectively, related to the provision of payment authorization services. The Company has determined that it is acting as an agent with respect to these payment authorization services, based on the following factors: (1) the Company has no discretion over which card issuing bank will be used to process a transaction and is unable to direct the activity of the merchant to another card issuing bank, and (2) interchange and card network rates are pre-established by the card issuers or card networks, and the Company has no latitude in determining these fees. Therefore, revenue allocated to the payment authorization performance obligation is presented net of interchange and card network fees paid to the card issuing banks and card networks, respectively, for the year ended September 30, 2020, subsequent to the adoption of ASC 606.
With regards to the Company's discount fees, generally, where the Company has control over merchant pricing, merchant portability, credit risk and ultimate responsibility for the merchant relationship, revenues are reported at the time of sale equal to the full amount of the discount charged to the merchant, less interchange and network fees. Revenues generated from merchant portfolios where the Company does not have control over merchant pricing, liability for merchant losses or credit risk or rights of portability are reported net of interchange and network fees as well as third-party processing costs directly attributable to processing and bank sponsorship costs.
Revenues are also derived from a variety of fixed transaction or service fees, including authorization fees, convenience fees, statement fees, annual fees, gateway fees, which are charged for accessing our payment and software solutions, and fees for other miscellaneous services, such as handling chargebacks. Revenues derived from service fees are recognized at the time the services are performed and there are no further performance obligations. Revenue from fixed transactions, which principally relates to the sale of equipment, is recognized upon transfer of ownership and delivery to the client, after which there are no further performance obligations.
Revenues from sales of the Company’s software are recognized when the related performance obligations are satisfied. Sales of software licenses are categorized into one of two categories of intellectual property in accordance with ASC 606, functional or symbolic. The key distinction is whether the license represents a right to use (functional) or a right to access (symbolic) intellectual property. The Company generates sales of one-time software licenses, which is functional intellectual property. Revenue from functional intellectual property is recognized at a point in time, when delivered to the client. The Company also offers access to its software under software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) arrangements, which represent services arrangements. Revenue from SaaS arrangements is recognized over time, over the term of the agreement.
Arrangements may contain multiple performance obligations, such as payment authorization services, transaction settlement services, hardware, software products, maintenance, and professional installation and training services. Revenues are allocated to each performance obligation based on the standalone selling price of each good or service. The selling price for a deliverable is based on standalone selling price, if available, the adjusted market assessment approach, estimated cost plus margin approach, or residual approach. The Company establishes estimated selling price, based on the judgment of the Company's management, considering internal factors such as margin objectives, pricing practices and controls, client segment pricing strategies and the product life cycle. In arrangements with multiple performance obligations, the Company determines allocation of the transaction price at inception of the arrangement and uses the standalone selling prices for the majority of the Company's revenue recognition.
Revenues from sales of the Company’s combined hardware and software element are recognized when each performance obligation has been satisfied which has been determined to be upon the delivery of the product. Revenues derived from service fees are recognized at the time the services are performed and there are no further performance obligations. The Company’s professional services, including training, installation, and repair services are recognized as revenue as these services are performed.
The table below presents a disaggregation of the Company's revenue from contracts with clients by product by segment. Refer to Note 16 for discussion of the Company's segments. The Company's products are defined as follows:
•Payments — Includes discount fees, gateway fees and other related fixed transaction or service fees.
•Other — Includes sales of software, sales of equipment, professional services and other revenues.
| For the year ended September 30, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merchant Services | Proprietary Software and Payments | Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Payments revenue | $ | 82,913 | $ | 19,359 | $ | (1,757) | $ | 100,515 | |||||||||||||||
| Other revenue | 18,036 | 31,594 | (11) | 49,619 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenue | $ | 100,949 | $ | 50,953 | $ | (1,768) | $ | 150,134 | |||||||||||||||
The table below presents a disaggregation of the Company's revenue from contracts with clients by timing of transfer of goods or services by segment. The Company's revenue included in each category are defined as follows:
•Revenue transferred over time — Includes discount fees, gateway fees, sales of SaaS and ongoing support contract revenue.
•Revenue transferred at a point in time — Includes fixed service fees, software licenses sold as functional intellectual property, professional services and other equipment.
| For the year ended September 30, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merchant Services | Proprietary Software and Payments | Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenue earned over time | $ | 72,800 | $ | 35,222 | $ | (1,743) | $ | 106,279 | |||||||||||||||
| Revenue earned at a point in time | 28,149 | 15,731 | (25) | 43,855 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenue | $ | 100,949 | $ | 50,953 | $ | (1,768) | $ | 150,134 | |||||||||||||||
Contract Liabilities
Deferred revenue represents amounts billed to clients by the Company for services contracts. Payment is typically collected at the start of the contract term. The initial prepaid contract agreement balance is deferred. The balance is then recognized as the services are provided over the contract term. Deferred revenue that is expected to be recognized as revenue within one year is recorded as short-term deferred revenue and the remaining portion is recorded as other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The terms for most of the Company's contracts with a deferred revenue component are one year. Substantially all of the Company's deferred revenue is anticipated to be recognized within the next year.
The following table presents the changes in deferred revenue as of and for the year ended September 30, 2020:
| Balance at September 30, 2019 | $ | 10,237 | |||
| Deferral of revenue | 22,963 | ||||
| Recognition of unearned revenue | (22,146) | ||||
| Balance at September 30, 2020 | $ | 11,054 | |||
Costs to Obtain and Fulfill a Contract
The Company capitalizes incremental costs to obtain new contracts and contract renewals and amortizes these costs on a straight-line basis as an expense over the benefit period, which is generally the contract term, unless a commensurate payment is not expected at renewal. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had $3,140, of capitalized contract costs, which relates to commissions paid to obtain new sales, included within “Prepaid expenses and other current assets” and “Other assets" on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company recorded commissions expense related to these costs for the year ended September 30, 2020 of $398.
The Company expenses sales commissions as incurred for the Company's sales commission plans that are paid on recurring monthly revenues, portfolios of existing clients, or have a substantive stay requirement prior to payment.
Interchange and Network Fees and Other Cost of Services
Interchange and network fees consist primarily of fees that are directly related to discount fee revenue. These include interchange fees paid to issuers and assessment fees payable to card associations, which are a percentage of the processing volume the Company generates from Visa and Mastercard, as well as fees charged by card-issuing banks. Other costs of services include costs directly attributable to processing and bank sponsorship costs, which may not be based on a percentage of volume. These costs also include related costs such as residual payments to sales groups, which are based on a percentage of the net revenues generated from merchant referrals. In certain merchant processing bank relationships the Company is liable for chargebacks against a merchant equal to the volume of the transaction. Losses resulting from chargebacks against a merchant are included in other cost of services on the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. The Company evaluates its risk for such transactions and estimates its potential loss from chargebacks based primarily on historical experience and other relevant factors. The reserve for merchant losses is included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The cost of equipment sold is also included in other cost of services. Interchange and other costs of services are recognized at the time the merchant's transactions are processed.
The Company accounts for all governmental taxes associated with revenue transactions on a net basis.About Revenue Disclosures
Revenue disclosures under ASC 606 explain how a company identifies performance obligations, allocates transaction prices, and determines when revenue is recognized. This section is essential for understanding whether reported revenue reflects genuine economic activity or aggressive accounting choices. Analysts examine the mix of point-in-time versus over-time recognition, which directly affects revenue timing and comparability.
Key signals: rising contract liabilities (deferred revenue) suggest strong future revenue visibility, while declining contract assets may indicate slowing project milestones. Watch for variable consideration estimates — rebates, returns, and performance bonuses that require management judgment. Significant changes in disaggregated revenue by geography or product line can reveal shifting business mix before it appears in headline numbers. Compare revenue growth against contract liability growth to assess sustainability, and scrutinize any changes in the timing of recognition that coincide with earnings pressure.