Revenue Recognition

Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our clients in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to for those goods or services. Substantially all of our revenues are derived from contracts with clients. Sales and other applicable taxes are excluded from revenues.

Recurring and Other Revenues

Recurring revenues are derived primarily from our payroll, talent acquisition, talent management, HR management and time and labor management applications, fees charged for form filings and delivery of client payroll checks and reports, and revenues associated with background checks and income and employment verification services. For a description of our applications, refer to Part I, Item 1, “Business,” of this Form 10-K.

We consider our commitment in our customer contracts to be a series of distinct services that together constitute a single performance obligation that is generally satisfied over time and recognized during each client’s payroll period. The agreed-upon fee is variable consideration that is determined by client usage, billed and collected as part of our processing of the client’s payroll. The client’s use of our applications routinely fluctuates based upon factors that include the number of payrolls run and changes in the client’s employee population. These usage-based fluctuations do not change our core performance obligation to stand ready to provide the customer with services for the remainder of the contractual term. Collectability is reasonably assured as the fees are generally collected through an automated clearing house as part of the client’s payroll cycle or through direct wire transfer, which minimizes the default risk.

The contract period for the majority of contracts associated with these revenues is one month due to the fact that both we and the client typically have the unilateral right to terminate a wholly unperformed contract without compensating the other party by providing 30 days’ notice of termination. We consider the total price charged to a client in a given period to be indicative of the standalone selling price, as the total amount charged is within a reasonable range of prices typically charged for our goods and services for comparable classes of client groups, which we periodically assess for price adjustments. Because the

variable consideration in our client contracts is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a series of distinct services forming a single performance obligation, we are not required to disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations.

Other revenues consist of nonrefundable implementation fees, which are charged upfront to new clients to offset the expense of new client set-up as well as revenues from the sale of time clocks as part of our time and attendance application. Although these revenues are related to our recurring revenues, they represent distinct performance obligations. The nonrefundable upfront fee charged to our clients results in an implied performance obligation in the form of a material right to the client related to the client’s option to renew at the end of the contract period. The nonrefundable upfront fee is typically collected upon contract inception and is deferred and recognized ratably over the period that our client realizes the benefits from the material right (i.e., 10-year estimated client life). We conduct an annual analysis of client retention data to support our client life estimate. A change in our client life estimate could have a material impact on the timing and amounts recognized as revenue for nonrefundable upfront fees.

Revenues from the sale of time clocks are recognized when control is transferred to the client upon delivery of the product. We estimate the standalone selling price for the time clocks by maximizing the use of observable inputs such as our specific pricing practices for time clocks.

For additional information, see Note 14 “Segment Reporting”.

Interest on Funds Held for Clients

Interest income on funds held for clients is earned on funds that are collected from clients in advance of either the applicable due date for payroll tax submissions or the applicable disbursement date for employee payment services. The interest earned on these funds is included in revenues in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income as the collection, holding, and remittance of these funds are essential components of providing these services.

Contract Balances

The timing of revenue recognition for recurring services is consistent with the invoicing of clients as they both occur during the respective client payroll period for which the services are provided. Therefore, we generally do not recognize a contract asset or liability resulting from the timing of revenue recognition and invoicing.

Changes in deferred revenue for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

144.6

 

 

$

130.5

 

Recognition of revenue included in beginning of period balance

 

 

(38.3

)

 

 

(21.9

)

Contract balance, net of revenue recognized during the period

 

 

43.9

 

 

 

36.0

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

150.2

 

 

$

144.6

 

We expect to recognize $29.2 million of deferred revenue in 2026, $26.0 million in 2027, and $95.0 million thereafter.

Assets Recognized from the Costs to Obtain and Costs to Fulfill Revenue Contracts

We recognize an asset for the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a client if we expect the amortization period to be longer than one year. We also recognize an asset for the costs to fulfill a contract with a client if such costs are specifically identifiable, generate or enhance resources used to satisfy future performance obligations, and are expected to be recovered. We have determined that substantially all costs related to implementation activities are administrative in nature and also meet the capitalization criteria under ASC 340-40, “Other Assets and Deferred Costs”. These capitalized costs to fulfill principally relate to upfront direct costs that are expected to be recovered through margin and that enhance our ability to satisfy future performance obligations. The assets related to both costs to obtain, and costs to fulfill, contracts with clients are accounted for utilizing a portfolio approach and are capitalized and amortized ratably over the expected period of benefit, which we have determined to be the estimated life of the client relationship of 10 years, primarily because we incur no new costs to obtain, or costs to fulfill, a contract upon renewal. A change in our client life estimate could have a material impact on the timing and amounts recognized as amortization expense.

Additional commission costs may be incurred when an existing client purchases additional applications; however, these commission costs relate solely to the additional applications purchased and are not related to contract renewal. Furthermore, additional fulfillment costs associated with existing clients purchasing additional applications are minimized by our seamless single-database platform.

The assets related to both costs to obtain, and costs to fulfill, contracts with customers are presented as deferred contract costs in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Amortization expense related to costs to obtain and costs to fulfill a contract is included in sales and marketing expenses and general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income. We regularly review our assets recognized from the costs to obtain and costs to fulfill client contracts for potential impairment and did not recognize an impairment loss during the years ended December 31, 2025 or December 31, 2024.

The following tables present the asset balances and related amortization expense for these contract costs:

 

 

As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2025

 

 

 

Beginning
Balance

 

 

Capitalization
of Costs

 

 

Amortization

 

 

Ending
Balance

 

Costs to obtain a contract

 

$

425.7

 

 

$

116.6

 

 

$

(73.2

)

 

$

469.1

 

Costs to fulfill a contract

 

$

498.3

 

 

$

128.3

 

 

$

(78.8

)

 

$

547.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

 

 

 

Beginning
Balance

 

 

Capitalization
of Costs

 

 

Amortization

 

 

Ending
Balance

 

Costs to obtain a contract

 

$

378.5

 

 

$

111.5

 

 

$

(64.3

)

 

$

425.7

 

Costs to fulfill a contract

 

$

420.0

 

 

$

144.0

 

 

$

(65.7

)

 

$

498.3

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 19, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 20, 2025

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.