TripAdvisor, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2021 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from                      to                      

Commission file number: 001-35362

TRIPADVISOR, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

400 1^st Avenue

Needham, MA 02494

(Address of principal executive office) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(781) 800-5000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Tripadvisor, Inc.

Form 10-Q

For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2021

Table of Contents

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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

TRIPADVISOR, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in millions, except per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(in millions)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in millions, except number of shares and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(in millions, except number of shares)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in millions)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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TRIPADVISOR, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1: BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

We refer to Tripadvisor, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries as “Tripadvisor”, “the Company”, “us”, “we” and “our” in these notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Description of Business

Tripadvisor is a leading online travel company and our mission is to help people around the world plan, book and experience the perfect trip. We operate a global travel guidance platform that connects the world’s largest audience of prospective travelers with travel partners through rich content, price comparison tools, and online reservation and related services for destinations, accommodations, travel activities and experiences, and restaurants.

Under our flagship brand, Tripadvisor, we launched www.tripadvisor.com in the U.S. in 2000. In addition to the flagship Tripadvisor brand, which now operates in localized versions in approximately 50 markets worldwide, we also own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements present our results of operations, financial position and cash flows on a consolidated basis. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include Tripadvisor, our wholly-owned subsidiaries, and entities we control, or in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary of expected cash profits or losses. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. One of our subsidiaries that operates in China has variable interests in affiliated entities in China in order to comply with Chinese laws and regulations, which restrict foreign investment in internet content provision businesses. Although we do not own the capital stock of these Chinese affiliates, we consolidate their results as we are the primary beneficiary of the cash losses or profits of these variable interest affiliates and have the power to direct the activity of these affiliates. Our variable interest entities’ financial results were not material for all periods presented. Investments in entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest are accounted for under the equity method, the fair value option, as available-for-sale securities or at cost adjusted for observable price changes and impairments, as appropriate.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) and include all normal and recurring adjustments that management of the Company considers necessary for a fair presentation of its financial position and operating results. We prepared the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements following the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim reporting. As permitted under those rules, we condensed or omitted certain footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by GAAP for annual financial statements. Additionally, certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for comparability with the current period presentation, including the reclassification of $9 million in restructuring costs, related to workforce reductions, the Company incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2020 to restructuring and other related reorganization costs on our unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations, from selling and marketing expense, technology and content expense, and general and administrative expense of $4 million, $4 million and $1 million, respectively. An amount of $7 million was paid by the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2020, with the remaining $2 million paid during the remainder of 2020.

Our interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year. These interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, previously filed with the SEC. The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 included herein was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date, but does not include all disclosures including notes required by GAAP.

As of March 31, 2021, Liberty Tripadvisor Holdings, Inc. (“LTRIP”) beneficially owned approximately 16.4 million shares of our common stock and 12.8 million shares of our Class B common stock, which constitute 13.3% of the outstanding shares of common stock and 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock. Assuming the conversion of all of LTRIP’s shares of Class B common stock into common stock, LTRIP would beneficially own 21.4% of the outstanding common stock. Because each share of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share, LTRIP may be deemed to beneficially own equity securities representing 57.3% of our voting power. We had no related party transactions with LTRIP during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

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Risks and Uncertainties

We continue to be subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have seen varying degrees of containment of the virus in certain countries and some signs of travel recovery, the degree of containment and the recovery in travel has varied both region-to-region on a global basis, as well as state-to-state in the U.S. For example, when COVID-19 cases resurged during the fourth quarter of 2020, government restrictions and mandates were reinstated in certain geographies globally. We do not know the future path or rate of global or regional COVID-19 transmission, nor do we have visibility into when remaining or reinstated restrictions will be lifted, and where additional restrictions may be implemented or reinstated in the future due to resurgence of the virus. Correspondingly, we do not have forward-looking visibility into what the long-term impacts may be related to consumer demand for travel, usage patterns on our platform, and travel behavior patterns when travel bans and other government restrictions and mandates are fully lifted.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, multiple COVID-19 vaccines were approved for widespread distribution throughout various parts of the world, including the United States and in Europe, and in the first quarter of 2021, vaccination distribution programs were initiated around the world. Vaccine programs in our largest markets, the U.S. and U.K., appear to be progressing well, and we expect the same for mainland Europe in the near future. We are encouraged by these developments, however the timing of widespread vaccine distributions, efficacy against variants of COVID-19, whether there will be resurgences of the virus and subsequent government restrictions, and whether consumers demand for travel and hospitality services will continue to be negatively impacted remain uncertain. Therefore, the continuing extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition remains uncertain and is dependent on future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, such as the continued transmission rate of COVID-19, additional resurgences, if any, the extent and effectiveness of containment actions taken, and the ultimate impact of these and other factors on consumer demand for travel and usage patterns on our platform. We continue to believe the travel, hospitality, restaurant, and leisure industry, and consequently our business, will continue to be adversely and materially affected while the pandemic continues and travel bans and other government restrictions and mandates continue to remain in place or be reinstated, all of which negatively impact consumer demand, sentiment and discretionary spending patterns.

Accounting Estimates

We use estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Our estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. These estimates and assumptions also affect the reported amount of net income or loss during any period. Our actual financial results could differ significantly from these estimates. The significant estimates underlying our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include: (i) recognition and recoverability of goodwill, and (ii) accounting for income taxes. The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant uncertainty in macroeconomic conditions, which may cause further business disruptions and continue to adversely and materially impact our results of operations. As a result, some of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, our estimates may change materially in future periods.

Seasonality

Consumers’ travel expenditures have historically followed a seasonal pattern. Correspondingly, travel partners’ advertising investments, and therefore our revenue and profits, have also historically followed a seasonal pattern. Our financial performance tends to be seasonally highest in the second and third quarters of a given year, which includes the seasonal peak in consumer demand, traveler hotel and rental stays, and travel activities and experiences taken, compared to the first and fourth quarters, which represent seasonal low points. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on our business, however, we did not experience our typical seasonal pattern for revenue and profit during the calendar quarters within the year ended December 31, 2020, which generally has continued in the three months ended March 31, 2021. COVID-19 also contributed significantly to unfavorable working capital trends and material negative operating cash flow during the year ended December 31, 2020, and that trend, although improved since 2020 has continued in the three months ending March 31, 2021. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the seasonality for the upcoming quarters, given the continued uncertainty related to the ultimate extent and duration of the economic and consumer demand impact from COVID-19, the successful widespread distribution and execution of vaccination programs in our key markets, and the shape and timing of a recovery. In addition, significant shifts in our business mix or adverse economic conditions could result in future seasonal patterns that are different from historical trends.  

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NOTE 2: SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new accounting guidance which simplifies the accounting for convertible debt instruments by reducing the number of accounting models and embedded conversion features that could be recognized separately from the primary contract. The new accounting guidance requires a convertible debt instrument to be accounted for as a single liability measured at its amortized cost, as long as no other features require bifurcation and recognition as derivatives. The new accounting guidance requires an entity to use the if-converted method in the diluted earnings per share calculation for convertible instruments. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2021, with early adoption permitted, including adoption in any interim period. We early adopted this new guidance in the first quarter of 2021 and there was no impact to any prior periods. Refer to “Note 5: Debt” as the Company applied this guidance to its 2026 Senior Notes.

There have been no other significant changes to our accounting policies since December 31, 2020, as described under “Note 2: Significant Accounting Policies”, in the notes to consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

NOTE 3: REVENUE RECOGNITION

We generate all of our revenue from contracts with customers. We recognize revenue when we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring control of the promised services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive in exchange for those services. When we act as an agent in the transaction, we recognize revenue for only our commission on the arrangement. We determine revenue recognition through the following steps:

At contract inception, we assess the services promised in our contracts with customers and identify a performance obligation for each promise to transfer to the customer a service (or bundle of services) that is distinct. To identify the performance obligations, we consider all of the services promised in the contract regardless of whether they are explicitly stated or are implied by customary business practices. We have provided qualitative information about our performance obligations for our principal revenue streams discussed below. There was no significant revenue recognized in the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, related to performance obligations satisfied in prior periods. We have applied a practical expedient and do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations that have an original expected duration of less than one year, and we do not have any material unsatisfied performance obligations over one year. The value related to our remaining or partially satisfied performance obligations relates to subscription services that are satisfied over time or services that are recognized at a point in time, but not yet achieved. Our timing of services, invoicing and payments are discussed in more detail below and do not include a significant financing component. Our customer invoices are generally due 30 days from the time of invoicing. The application of our revenue recognition policies and a description of our principal activities, organized by segment, from which we generate our revenue, are presented below.

Hotels, Media & Platform Segment

Tripadvisor-branded Hotels Revenue. Our largest source of Hotels, Media & Platform segment revenue is generated from click-based advertising on Tripadvisor-branded websites, which is primarily comprised of contextually-relevant booking links to our travel partners’ websites. Our click-based travel partners are predominantly OTAs and hotels. Click-based advertising is generally priced on a cost-per-click, or “CPC”, basis, with payments from travel partners determined by the number of travelers who click on a link multiplied by the CPC rate for each specific click. CPC rates are determined in a dynamic, competitive auction process, also known as hotel auction revenue, where our travel partner CPC bids for rates and availability to be listed on our site are submitted.  When a CPC bid is submitted, the travel partner agrees to pay us the bid amount each time a traveler clicks on the link to that travel partner’s websites. Bids can be submitted periodically – as often as daily – on a property-by-property basis. We record click-based advertising revenue as the click occurs and traveler leads are sent to the travel partner websites as our performance obligation is fulfilled at that time. Click-based revenue is generally billed to our travel partners on a monthly basis consistent with the timing of the service.

In addition, we offer subscription-based advertising to hotels, owners of B&Bs and other specialty lodging properties. Our performance obligation is generally to enable subscribers to advertise their businesses on our website, as well as to manage and

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promote their website URL, email address, phone number, special offers and other information related to their business. Subscription-based advertising services are predominantly sold for a flat fee for a contracted period of time of one year or less and revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the period of the subscription service as efforts are expended evenly throughout the contract period.  Subscription-based advertising services are generally billed at the inception of the service. When prepayments are received, we recognize deferred revenue for the amount of prepayment in excess of revenue recognized until the performance obligation is satisfied.

We also generate revenue from our cost-per-action, or “CPA” model, which consists of contextually-relevant booking links to our travel partners’ websites which are advertised on our platform. We earn a commission from our travel partners, based on a pre-determined contractual commission rate, for each traveler who clicks to and books a hotel reservation on the travel partners’ website, which results in a traveler stay. CPA revenue is billable only upon the completion of each traveler’s stay resulting from a hotel reservation. The travel partners provide the service to the travelers and we act as an agent under ASC 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). Our performance obligation is complete at the time of the hotel reservation booking, and the commission earned is recognized upon booking, as we have no post-booking service obligations. We recognize this revenue net of an estimate of the impact of cancellations, using historical cancellation rates and current trends. Contract assets are recognized at the time of booking for commissions that are billable at the time of stay. To a lesser extent, we offer travel partners the opportunity to advertise and promote their business through hotel sponsored placements on our websites. This service is generally priced on a CPC basis, with payments from travel partners determined by the number of travelers who click on the sponsored link multiplied by the CPC rate for each specific click. CPC rates for hotel sponsored placements that our travel partners pay are generally based on bids submitted as part of an auction by our travel partners. When a CPC bid is submitted, the travel partner agrees to pay us the bid amount each time a traveler clicks on a link to our travel partner’s websites. Bids may be submitted periodically – as often as daily – on a property-by-property basis. We record this click-based advertising revenue as the click occurs and traveler leads are sent to the travel partner as our performance obligation is fulfilled at that time. Hotel sponsored placements revenue is generally billed to our travel partners on a monthly basis consistent with the timing of the service.

Tripadvisor-branded Display and Platform Revenue. We offer travel partners the ability to promote their brands through display-based advertising placements on our websites across all of our segments and business units. Our display-based advertising clients are predominantly direct suppliers of hotels, airlines and cruises, as well as destination marketing organizations. We also sell display-based advertising to OTAs and other travel related businesses, as well as advertisers from non-travel categories. Display-based advertising is sold predominantly on a cost per thousand impressions, or CPM, basis. The performance obligation in our display-based advertising arrangements is to display a number of advertising impressions on our websites and we recognize revenue for impressions as they are delivered. Services are generally billed monthly. We have applied the practical expedient to measure progress toward completion, as we have the right to invoice the customer in an amount that directly corresponds with the value to the customer of our performance to date, which is measured based on impressions delivered.

Experiences & Dining Segment

We provide information and services that allow consumers to research and book tours, activities and experiences in popular travel destinations both through Viator, our dedicated Experiences offering, and on our Tripadvisor website and mobile apps. We also power travel tours, activities and experiences booking capabilities to consumers on affiliate partner websites, including some of the world’s top airlines, hotel chains, and online and offline travel agencies. We work with local tour or travel activities/experiences operators (“the suppliers”) to provide consumers the ability to book tours, activities and experiences (“the activities”) in popular destinations worldwide. We generate commissions for each booking transaction we facilitate through our online reservation system. We provide post-booking service to the customer until the time of the activity, which is the completion of the performance obligation. Revenue is recognized at the time that the activity occurs. We generally do not control the activity before the supplier provides it to our customer and therefore act as agent for nearly all of these transactions under ASC 606. We generally collect payment from the customer at the time of booking that includes both our commission revenue and the amount due to the supplier. Our commission revenue is recorded as deferred revenue until the activity occurs and revenue is recognized, and the amount due to the supplier is recorded as deferred merchant payables on our consolidated balance sheet until completion of the activity and payment is made to the supplier. To a lesser extent, we earn commissions from third-party merchant partners who display and promote on their websites the supplier activities available on our platform to generate bookings.  In these transactions, where we are not the merchant of record, we generally invoice and receive commissions directly from the third-party merchant partners. Our performance obligation is to allow the third-party merchant partners to display and promote on their website suppliers who utilize our platform and we earn a commission when consumers book and complete an activity. We do not control the service and act as an agent for these transactions under ASC 606. Our performance obligation is complete and revenue is recognized at the time of the booking, as we have no post-booking obligations. We recognize this revenue net of an estimate of the impact of cancellations, which is not material, using historical cancellation rates and current trends. Contract assets are recognized for commissions that are billable contingent upon completion of the activity.  

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We also provide information and services for consumers to research and book restaurant reservations in popular travel destinations through our dedicated online restaurant reservations offering, TheFork, and on our Tripadvisor-branded websites and mobile apps. We primarily generate transaction fees (or per seated diner fees) that are paid by our restaurant customers for diners seated primarily from bookings through TheFork’s online reservation system. The transaction fee is recognized as revenue after the reservation is fulfilled, or as diners are seated by our restaurant customers. We invoice restaurants monthly for transaction fees. To a lesser extent, we also generate subscription fees for subscription-based advertising to restaurants, access to certain online reservation management services, marketing analytic tools, and menu syndication services provided by TheFork and Tripadvisor. As the performance obligation is to provide restaurants with access to these services over the subscription period, subscription fee revenue is recognized over the period of the subscription service on a straight-line basis as efforts are expended evenly throughout the contract period. Subscription fees are generally billable in advance of service. When prepayments are received, we recognize deferred revenue for the amount of prepayment in excess of revenue recognized until the performance obligation is satisfied. In addition, we also offer restaurant partners the opportunity to advertise and promote their business through restaurant media advertising placements on our website. This service is generally priced on a CPC basis, with payments from restaurant partners determined by the number of consumers who click on the sponsored link multiplied by the CPC rate for each specific click. CPC rates for media advertising placements that our restaurant partners pay are based on a pre-determined contractual rate. We record this click-based advertising revenue as the click occurs and diner leads are sent to the restaurant partner as our performance obligation is fulfilled at that time. Click-based revenue is generally billed to our restaurant partners on a monthly basis consistent with the timing of the service.

Other

We provide information and services that allow travelers to research and book vacation and short-term rental properties, including full homes, condominiums, villas, beach properties, cabins and cottages. Our Rentals offering generates revenue primarily by offering individual property owners and managers the ability to list their properties on our websites and mobile apps thereby connecting with travelers through a free-to-list, commission-based option or, to a lesser extent, by an annual subscription-based fee structure. These properties are listed on www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.housetrip.com, www.niumba.com, and www.vacationhomerentals.com, and on our Tripadvisor-branded websites and mobile apps. We earn commissions associated with rental transactions through our free-to-list model from both the traveler, and the property owner or manager. We provide post-booking service to the travelers, property owners and managers until the time the rental commences, which is the time the performance obligation is completed. Revenue from transaction fees is recognized at the time that the rental commences. We act as an agent, under ASC 606, in the transactions as we do not control any properties before the property owner provides the accommodation to the traveler and do not have inventory risk. We generally collect payment from the traveler at the time of booking, representing the amount due to the property owner or manager, as well as our commission. That portion of the payment representing our commission is recorded as deferred revenue until revenue is recognized, and that portion of the payment representing the amount due to the property owner is recorded as deferred merchant payables until payment is made to the property owner after the completion of the rental. Payments for term-based subscription fees related to online advertising services for the listing of rental properties are generally due in advance. As the performance obligation is the listing service provided to the property owner or manager over the subscription period, revenue is recognized over the period of the subscription service on a straight-line basis as efforts are expended evenly throughout the contract period. We recognize deferred revenue for the amount of prepayment in excess of revenue recognized until the performance obligation is satisfied. 

In addition, Other also includes revenue generated from flights, cruises, and car offerings on Tripadvisor-branded websites and Tripadvisor’s portfolio of travel media brands, which primarily includes click-based advertising and display-based advertising revenue. The performance obligations, timing of customer payments for these brands, and methods of revenue recognition are generally consistent with click-based advertising and display-based advertising revenue, as described above.

We disaggregate revenue from contracts with customers into major products/revenue sources. We have determined that disaggregating revenue into these categories achieves the disclosure objective to depict how the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. As noted in “Note 11: Segment Information,” our business consists of two reportable segments – (1) Hotels, Media & Platform; and (2) Experiences & Dining. A reconciliation of disaggregated revenue to segment revenue is also included below. Other consists of a combination of business units, and does not constitute a reportable segment.  

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The following table provides information about the opening and closing balances of accounts receivable and contract assets from contracts with customers (in millions):

Accounts receivable are recognized when the right to consideration becomes unconditional. Contract assets are rights to consideration in exchange for services that we have transferred to a customer when that right is conditional on something other than the passage of time, such as commission payments that are contingent upon the completion of the service by the principal in the transaction. The difference between the opening and closing balances of our contract assets primarily results from the timing difference between when we satisfy our performance obligations and the time when the principal completes the service in the transaction.

Contract liabilities generally include payments received in advance of performance under the contract, and are realized as revenue as the performance obligation to the customer is satisfied, which we present as deferred revenue on our consolidated balance sheets. As of January 1, 2021 and 2020, we had $28 million and $62 million, respectively, recorded as deferred revenue on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets, of which $11 million and $32 million, respectively, was recognized in revenue and $2 million and $6 million, respectively, was refunded due to cancellations by travelers during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The difference between the opening and closing balances of our deferred revenue primarily results from the timing differences between when we receive customer payments and the time in which we satisfy our performance obligations.

There were no significant changes in contract assets or deferred revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 related to business combinations, impairments, cumulative catch-ups or other material adjustments. However, to the extent the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we may incur additional significant and unanticipated cancellations by consumers related to future travel, accommodations and tour bookings, which have been reserved by travelers and recorded as deferred revenue on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021.

NOTE 4: FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

For assets and liabilities required to be reported at fair value, GAAP provides a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels:

Level 1—Valuations are based on quoted market prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets.

Level 2—Valuations are based on observable inputs other than quoted market prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3—Valuations are based on unobservable inputs reflecting our own assumptions, consistent with reasonably available assumptions made by other market participants. These valuations require significant judgment.

We had no material financial assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

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Cash and Cash Equivalents

As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had $674 million and $418 million, respectively, of cash and cash equivalents, which consisted of available on demand cash deposits in global financial institutions.

We generally classify cash equivalents and marketable securities, if any, within Level 1 and Level 2 as we value these financial instruments using quoted market prices (Level 1) or alternative pricing sources (Level 2). The valuation technique we use to measure the fair value of money market funds is derived from quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Fair values for Level 2 investments are considered “Level 2” valuations because they are obtained from independent pricing sources for identical or comparable instruments, rather than direct observations of quoted prices in active markets. Our procedures include controls to ensure that appropriate fair values are recorded, including comparing the fair values obtained from our independent pricing services against fair values obtained from another independent source.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We generally use forward contracts to reduce the effects of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on our cash flows primarily for the Euro versus the U.S. Dollar. For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, our forward contracts have not been designated as hedges and generally had maturities of less than 90 days. Our outstanding or unsettled forward contracts are carried at fair value on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. We measure the fair value of our outstanding or unsettled derivatives using Level 2 fair value inputs, as we use a pricing model that takes into account the contract terms as well as current foreign currency exchange rates in active markets. We recognize any gain or loss resulting from the change in fair value of our foreign currency forward contracts in other income (expense), net on our unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations, which was not material for the three months ended March 31, 2021. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, we recorded a net gain of $1 million related to our forward contracts.

The following table shows the net notional principal amounts of our outstanding derivative instruments as of the periods presented:

Counterparties to our outstanding forward contracts consist of major global financial institutions. We monitor our positions and the credit ratings of the counterparties involved and, by policy limits, the amount of credit exposure to any one party. We do not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. We did not enter into any cash flow, fair value or net investment hedges as of March 31, 2021 or December 31, 2020.

Other Financial Assets and Liabilities

As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, financial instruments not measured at fair value on a recurring basis including accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, and deferred merchant bookings, were carried at cost on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets, which approximates their fair values because of the short-term nature of these items. Accounts receivable and contract assets, on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets, as well as certain other financial assets, were measured at amortized cost and are carried at cost less an allowance for expected credit losses to present the net amount expected to be collected.

The following table shows the aggregate principal and fair value amount of our outstanding 2025 Senior Notes and 2026 Senior Notes as of the periods presented, classified as long-term debt on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets, and was considered Level 2 fair value measurements. Refer to “Note 5: Debt” for additional information on our 2025 Senior Notes and 2026 Senior Notes.

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Risks and Concentrations

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, which is discussed in “Note 1: Business Description and Basis of Presentation”, our business is subject to certain financial risks and concentrations, including concentration related to dependence on our relationships with our customers. For the year ended December 31, 2020, our two most significant travel partners, Expedia (and its subsidiaries) and Booking (and its subsidiaries), each accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenue and combined accounted for 25% of our consolidated revenue, with nearly all of this revenue concentrated in our Hotels, Media & Platform segment.

Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentration of credit risk, generally consist, at any point in time, primarily of cash and cash equivalents, corporate debt securities, forward contracts, capped calls, and accounts receivable. We maintain cash and cash equivalents balances with financial institutions that are in excess of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits. Our cash and cash equivalents are primarily composed of bank account balances with financial institutions primarily denominated in U.S. dollars, Euros, British pounds, and Australian dollars. We invest in highly-rated corporate debt securities, and our investment policy limits the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer, industry group and currency. Our credit risk related to corporate debt securities, if any, is also mitigated by the relatively short maturity period required by our investment policy. Forward contracts and capped calls are transacted with major international financial institutions with high credit standings. Forward contracts typically have maturities of less than 90 days which also mitigates credit risk. Our overall credit risk related to accounts receivable is mitigated by the relatively short collection period.

Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Non-recurring Basis

Non-Marketable Investments

Equity Securities Accounted for under the Equity Method

The Company owns a 40% equity investment in Chelsea Investment Holding Company PTE Ltd, which is majority owned by Ctrip Investment Holding Ltd, a majority-owned subsidiary of Trip.com Group Limited. The Company accounts for this minority investment under the equity method, given it has the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investee. The carrying value of this minority investment was $37 million and $38 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, and is included in non-marketable investments on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. During both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized $1 million, representing our share of the investee’s net loss in other income (expenses), net within the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Company evaluates this investment for impairment when factors indicate that a decline in the value of its investment has occurred and the carrying amount of its investment may not be recoverable. An impairment loss, based on the excess of the carrying value over the estimated fair value of the investment based on Level 3 inputs, is recognized in earnings when an impairment is deemed to be other than temporary. During both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, we did not record any impairment loss on this equity investment.

The Company maintains various commercial agreements with Chelsea Investment Holding Company PTE Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries. Transactions under these agreements are considered related-party transactions, and were not material during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

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Other Long-Term Assets

The Company holds collateralized notes (the “Notes Receivable”) with a total principal amount of $20 million from a privately-held company. The Company has classified the Notes Receivable as held-to-maturity, as the Company has concluded it has the positive intent and ability to hold the Notes Receivable until maturity, with 50% due in 5 years and the remaining 50% due in 10 years from issuance date. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the carrying value of the Notes Receivable was $14 million, net of accumulated allowance for credit losses, and is classified in other long-term assets, net on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet at amortized cost. On a quarterly basis, we perform a qualitative assessment considering impairment indicators to evaluate whether the Notes Receivable are impaired and monitor for changes to our allowance for credit losses.

NOTE 5: DEBT

The Company’s outstanding debt consisted of the following for the periods presented:

2015 Credit Facility

We are party to a credit agreement with a group of lenders initially entered in June 2015 (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”), which, among other things, provides for a $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the “2015 Credit Facility”) with a maturity date of May 12, 2024. The 2015 Credit Facility, among other things, requires us to maintain a maximum leverage ratio and contains certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default, including a change of control.

We amended the 2015 Credit Facility in May 2020 and December 2020 to, among other things:

During the Leverage Covenant Holiday, any outstanding or future borrowings under the 2015 Credit Facility will bear interest at LIBOR plus a 2.25% margin with a LIBOR floor of 1% per annum. We are required to pay a quarterly commitment fee, at an applicable rate of 0.5%, on the daily unused portion of the revolving credit facility for each fiscal quarter during the Leverage Covenant Holiday and also additional fees in connection with the issuance of letters of credit. The Company may borrow from the 2015 Credit Facility in U.S. dollars, Euros and British pounds. In addition, our 2015 Credit Facility includes $15 million of borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and $40 million for Swing Line borrowings on same-day notice. As of March 31, 2021, we had issued $4 million of outstanding letters of credit under the 2015 Credit Facility.

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As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the 2015 Credit Facility. For both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded total interest expense and commitment fees on our 2015 Credit Facility of $1 million to interest expense on our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company borrowed $700 million under the 2015 Credit Facility. These funds were drawn down as a precautionary measure to reinforce the Company’s liquidity position and preserve financial flexibility in light of uncertainty in the global markets resulting from COVID-19 and repaid by the Company during 2020.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell or transfer assets, pay dividends and distributions, make investments, loans or advances, prepay certain subordinated indebtedness, make certain acquisitions, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, amend material agreements governing certain subordinated indebtedness, and change our fiscal year. The Credit Agreement also limits the Company from repurchasing shares of its common stock and paying dividends, among other restrictions, during the Leverage Covenant Holiday. In addition, to secure the obligations under the Credit Agreement, the Company and certain subsidiaries have granted security interests and liens in and on substantially all of their assets as well as pledged shares of certain of the Company’s subsidiaries. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we were in compliance with our covenants.

2025 Senior Notes

On July 9, 2020, the Company completed the sale of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 7.0% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Senior Notes”), pursuant to a purchase agreement, dated July 7, 2020, among the Company, the guarantors party thereto and the initial purchasers party thereto in a private offering. The 2025 Senior Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated July 9, 2020 (the “2025 Indenture”), among the Company, the guarantors and the trustee. The 2025 Indenture provides, among other things, that interest will be payable on the 2025 Senior Notes on January 15 and July 15 of each year, which began on January 15, 2021, until their maturity date of July 15, 2025. The 2025 Senior Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company and are guaranteed by certain of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries.

 The Company has the option to redeem all or a portion of the 2025 Senior Notes at any time on or after July 15, 2022 at the redemption prices set forth in the 2025 Indenture, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. The Company may also redeem all or any portion of the 2025 Senior Notes at any time prior to July 15, 2022, at a price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus a make-whole premium and accrued and unpaid interest, if any. In addition, before July 15, 2022, the Company may redeem up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes with the net proceeds of certain equity offerings at the redemption price set forth in the 2025 Indenture, provided that certain conditions are met. Subject to certain limitations, in the event of a Change of Control Triggering Event (as defined in the 2025 Indenture), the Company will be required to make an offer to purchase the 2025 Senior Notes at a price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase. These features have been evaluated as embedded derivatives under GAAP; however, the Company has concluded they do not meet the requirements to be accounted for separately.

As of March 31, 2021, unpaid interest on our 2025 Senior Notes totaled approximately $8 million and is included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet, and was recorded as interest expense on our unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021.

The 2025 Indenture contains covenants that, among other things and subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, restrict the ability of the Company and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue disqualified stock or certain preferred stock; pay dividends and make other distributions or repurchase stock; make certain investments; create or incur liens; sell assets; create restrictions affecting the ability of restricted subsidiaries to make distributions, loans or advances or transfer assets to the Company or the restricted subsidiaries; enter into certain transactions with the Company’s affiliates; designate restricted subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; and merge, consolidate or transfer or sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

2026 Senior Notes

On March 25, 2021, we entered into a purchase agreement for the sale of $300 million aggregate principal amount of 0.25% Convertible 2026 Senior Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Senior Notes”) in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers. The 2026 Senior Notes included of an over-allotment option that provided the initial purchasers of the 2026 Senior Notes with the option to purchase an additional $45 million aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Senior Notes; such over-allotment option was fully exercised. In connection with the issuance of the 2026 Senior Notes, the Company entered into an Indenture, dated March 25, 2021 (the “2026 Indenture”), among the Company, the guarantors party thereto and the trustee. The terms of the 2026 Senior Notes are governed by the 2026 Indenture. The 2026 Senior Notes mature on April 1, 2026, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. The 2026 Senior Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company, although guaranteed by certain of the Company’s domestic

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subsidiaries, with interest payable semiannually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on October 1, 2021, at a rate of 0.25% per annum.

The 2026 Senior Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option at any time, and from time to time, on or after April 1, 2024 and on or before the 30th scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2026 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, but only if the last reported sale price per share of our common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price on (1) each of at least 20 trading days, whether or not consecutive, during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date we send the related redemption notice; and (2) the trading day immediately before the date we send such notice. In addition, calling any such note for redemption will constitute a make-whole fundamental change with respect to that note, in which case the conversion rate applicable to the conversion of that note will be increased in certain circumstances if it is converted after it is called for redemption.

The 2026 Senior Notes are unconditionally guaranteed, on a joint and several basis, by the guarantors on a senior, unsecured basis. The 2026 Senior Notes are our general senior unsecured obligations and rank equally in right of payment with all of our existing and future senior indebtedness, and senior in right of payment to all of our future subordinated indebtedness. The 2026 Senior Notes will be effectively subordinated to any of our existing and future secured indebtedness, including borrowings under our 2015 Credit Facility and our 2025 Senior Notes, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness.

Holders may convert their 2026 Senior Notes under the following conditions at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding January 1, 2026 in multiples of $1,000 principal amount, only under the following circumstances:

In addition, holders may convert their 2026 Senior Notes, in multiples of $1,000 principal amount, at their option at any time beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and prior to the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the stated maturity date of the 2026 Senior Notes, without regard to the foregoing circumstances.

The initial conversion rate for the 2026 Senior Notes is 13.5483 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2026 Senior Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $73.81 per share of common stock, or approximately 4.7 million shares of common stock, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain specified events as set forth in the 2026 Indenture. Upon conversion, the Company may choose to pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of common stock or a combination of cash and shares of common stock.

The Company accounts for the 2026 Senior Notes as a liability measured at its amortized cost, and no other features of the 2026 Senior Notes are bifurcated and recognized as a derivative. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2026 Senior Notes were approximately $340 million, net of debt issuance costs of $5 million comprised primarily of the initial purchasers’ discount and the Company used a portion of the proceeds from the 2026 Senior Notes to enter into the capped call transactions as discussed below. The Company intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include repayment of debt, including the partial redemption of our 2025 Senior Notes due 2025 prior to maturity. The debt issuance costs will be amortized over the remaining term of the 2026 Senior Notes, using the effective interest rate method over the five-year maturity of the 2026 Senior Notes, and recorded to interest expense on our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, our effective interest rate, including the debt issuance costs, was 0.60% and total interest expense on our 2026 Senior Notes was not material.

The 2026 Senior Notes are unsecured and do not contain any financial covenants, restrictions on dividends, incurrence of senior debt or other indebtedness, or restrictions on the issuance or repurchase of securities by the Company.

Capped Call Transactions

In connection with the issuance of the 2026 Senior Notes, the Company entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions (the “Capped Calls”) with certain of the initial purchasers of the 2026 Senior Notes and/or their respective affiliates

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and/or other financial institutions (the “Option Counterparties”) at a cost of approximately $35 million. The Capped Calls are separate transactions entered into by the Company with each Option Counterparty, and are not part of the terms of the 2026 Senior Notes and will not affect any noteholder’s rights under the 2026 Senior Notes. Noteholders will not have any rights with respect to the Capped Calls.

The Capped Calls cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, substantially similar to those applicable to the conversion rate of the 2026 Senior Notes, the number of shares of common stock initially underlying the 2026 Senior Notes, or up to approximately 4.7 million shares of our common stock. The Capped Calls are expected generally to reduce potential dilution to the common stock upon any conversion of 2026 Senior Notes and/or offset any potential cash payments the Company is required to make in excess of the principal amount of such converted 2026 Senior Notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap. The strike price of the Capped Calls is $73.81, while the cap price of the Capped Calls will initially be $107.36 per share of our common stock, which represents a premium of 100% over the close price of our common stock of $53.68 per share on March 22, 2021, and is subject to certain customary adjustments under the terms of the Capped Calls.

The Capped Calls are considered indexed to our own stock and are considered equity classified under GAAP, and included as a reduction to additional paid-in-capital within shareholders’ equity on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. The Capped Calls are not accounted for as derivatives and not remeasured each reporting period. In addition, we recorded a deferred tax asset of $9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021, as we made an income tax election allowable under Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regulations in order to recover the cost of the Capped Calls as interest expense for income tax purposes over the term of the 2026 Senior Notes.

NOTE 6: INCOME TAXES

Each interim period is considered an integral part of the annual period; accordingly, we measure our income tax expense using an estimated annual effective tax rate. An enterprise is required, at the end of each interim reporting period, to make its best estimate of the annual effective tax rate for the full fiscal year and use that rate to provide for income taxes on a current year-to-date basis, as adjusted for discrete taxable events that occur during the interim period.

On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act"). The CARES Act made tax law changes to provide financial relief to companies as a result of the business impacts of COVID-19. Key income tax provisions of the CARES Act include changes in net operating losses (“NOL”) carryback and carryforward rules, increase of the net interest expense deduction limit, and immediate write-off of qualified improvement property. The CARES Act allowed us to carryback our U.S. federal NOL incurred in 2020, generating a $48 million income tax refund, which is recorded in income taxes receivable on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, and is expected to be received during 2021. We also reduced our long-term transition tax payable related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”) by $28 million as a result of the NOL carryback during the year ended December 31, 2020.

In addition, certain governments have passed legislation to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic through loans, wage subsidies, wage tax relief or other financial aid. Some of these governments have extended or are considering extending these programs. We have participated in several of these programs, including the CARES Act in the U.S., the United Kingdom's job retention scheme, as well as programs in other jurisdictions'. In addition, in certain countries, such as within the European Union, Singapore, Australia, and other jurisdictions, we are also participating in programs where government assistance is in the form of wage subsidies and reductions in wage-related employer taxes paid by us. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, we recognized non-income tax related government grants and other assistance benefits of $3 million, of which $2 million in cash has been received as of March 31, 2021. These amounts were recorded as a reduction of personnel and overhead costs in the consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had a receivable remaining of $3 million and $2 million, included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet, for payments expected to be received in 2021, which was related to qualified payroll tax credits under the CARES Act.

We had income tax benefits of $16 million and $11 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in our income tax benefit during the three months ended March 31, 2021, when compared to the same period in 2020, was primarily due to an increase in pretax losses recognized as of March 31, 2021, partially offset by the 2020 NOL carryback rate benefit recorded in the same period last year.

Our policy is to recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits and income tax liabilities as part of our income tax expense. As of March 31, 2021, we had an accrued interest liability of $37 million and no penalties have been accrued.  

By virtue of consolidated income tax returns previously filed with Expedia, we are currently under an IRS audit for the 2009, 2010 and short-period 2011 tax years. We are separately under examination by the IRS for the short-period 2011, 2012 through 2016, and 2018 tax years, under an employment tax audit by the IRS for the 2015 through 2017 tax years, and have various ongoing audits

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for foreign tax years, as well as state income tax audits. These audits include questioning the timing and amount of income and deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. These examinations may lead to proposed or ordinary course adjustments to our taxes. We are no longer subject to tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2009. As of March 31, 2021, no material assessments have resulted, except as noted below regarding our 2009, 2010, and 2011 IRS audit with Expedia, our 2012 through 2016 standalone IRS audit, and our 2012 through 2016 HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) audit. 

In January 2017 and April 2019, as part of the IRS audit of Expedia, we received Notices of Proposed Adjustment from the IRS for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 tax years. Subsequently, in September 2019, as part of our standalone audit, we received Notices of Proposed Adjustment from the IRS for the 2012 and 2013 tax years; and in August 2020, we received Notices of Proposed Adjustment from the IRS for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 tax years. These proposed adjustments are related to certain transfer pricing arrangements with our foreign subsidiaries, and would result in an increase to our worldwide income tax expense in an estimated range of $95 million to $105 million at the close of the audit if the IRS prevails, which includes $20 million to $30 million related to the 2009 through 2011 pre Spin-Off tax years. The estimated range takes into consideration competent authority relief and transition tax regulations, and is exclusive of deferred tax consequences and interest expense, which would be significant. We disagree with the proposed adjustments and we intend to defend our position through applicable administrative and, if necessary, judicial remedies. Our policy is to review and update tax reserves as facts and circumstances change. Based on our interpretation of the regulations and available case law, we believe the position we have taken with regard to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries is sustainable. In addition to the risk of additional tax for 2009 through 2016 transactions, if the IRS were to seek transfer pricing adjustments of a similar nature for transactions in subsequent years, we would be subject to significant additional tax liabilities. We have requested competent authority assistance under the Mutual Agreement Procedure (“MAP”) for tax years 2009 through 2016. We expect the competent authorities to present a resolution for the 2009 through 2011 tax years in the near future.  Upon receipt, we will assess the resolution provided by the competent authorities as well as its impact on our existing income tax reserves for all open subsequent years.

In January 2021, we received from HMRC an issue closure notice relating to adjustments for 2012 through 2016 tax years. These proposed adjustments are related to certain transfer pricing arrangements with our foreign subsidiaries and would result in an increase to our worldwide income tax expense in an estimated range of $45 million to $55 million, exclusive of interest expense, at the close of the audit if HMRC prevails. We disagree with the proposed adjustments and we intend to defend our position through applicable administrative and, if necessary, judicial remedies. Our policy is to review and update tax reserves as facts and circumstances change. Based on our interpretation of the regulations and available case law, we believe the position we have taken with regard to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries is sustainable.

NOTE 7: COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

As of March 31, 2021, with the exception of expected interest payments related to the issuance of our 2026 Senior Notes, as discussed above in “Note 5: Debt”, there have been no material changes to our commitments and contingencies since December 31, 2020. Refer to “Note 13: Commitments and Contingencies,” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Legal Proceedings

In the ordinary course of business, we are party to regulatory and legal matters, including threats thereof, arising out of, or in connection with our operations. These matters may involve claims involving intellectual property rights (including alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights), tax matters (including value-added, excise, transient occupancy and accommodation taxes), regulatory compliance (including competition and consumer protection matters), defamation and reputational claims, personal injury claims, labor and employment matters and commercial disputes. Periodically, we review the status of all significant outstanding matters to assess any potential financial exposure. We record the estimated loss in our consolidated statements of operations when (i) it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred; and (ii) the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. We provide disclosures in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for loss contingencies that do not meet both of these conditions if there is a reasonable possibility that a loss may have been incurred that would be material to the consolidated financial statements. We base accruals on the best information available at the time which can be highly subjective. Although occasional adverse decisions or settlements may occur, we do not believe that the final disposition of any of these matters will have a material adverse effect on our business. However, the final outcome of these matters could vary significantly from our estimates. Finally, there may be claims or actions pending or threatened against us of which we are currently not aware and the ultimate disposition of which could have a material adverse effect on us. All legal fees incurred by the Company related to any regulatory and legal matters are expensed in the period incurred.

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Income and Non-Income Taxes

We are under audit by the IRS and various other domestic and foreign tax authorities with regards to income tax and non-income tax matters. We have reserved for potential adjustments that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of audits could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit could have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows in the period for which that determination is made. Refer to “Note 6: Income Taxes” for further information on potential contingencies surrounding income taxes.

NOTE 8: STOCK BASED AWARDS AND OTHER EQUITY INSTRUMENTS

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

The following table presents the amount of stock-based compensation expense related to stock-based awards on our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the periods presented:

We capitalized $3 million and $4 million of stock-based compensation expense as internal-use software and website development costs during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  

During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company reversed $3 million of previously recorded stock-based compensation expense related to certain performance-based RSUs. As of March 31, 2020, the Company concluded that performance metrics required to be met in order for these awards to fully vest were no longer expected to be achievable, due to COVID-19’s impact on our business.

Stock-Based Award Activity and Valuation

2021 Stock Option Activity

A summary of our stock option activity, consisting primarily of service-based non-qualified stock options during the three months ended March 31, 2021, is presented below:

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Aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the closing stock price of our common stock and the exercise price of outstanding, in-the-money options. Our closing stock price as reported on Nasdaq as of March 31, 2021 was $53.79. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $8 million. This amount was not material for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

The fair value of stock option grants has been estimated at the date of grant using the Black–Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions for the periods presented:

Our stock options generally have a term of ten years from the date of grant and typically vest equally over a four-year requisite service period. We amortize the grant-date fair value of our stock option grants as stock-based compensation expense over the vesting term on a straight-line basis, with the amount of compensation expense recognized at any date at least equaling the portion of the grant-date fair value of the award that is vested at that date. The total fair value of stock options vested was $8 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

2021 RSU Activity

A summary of our activity with respect to restricted stock units (“RSUs”), consisting primarily of service-based vesting terms, during the three months ended March 31, 2021 is presented below:

We amortize the grant-date fair value of RSUs as stock-based compensation expense over the vesting term, which is typically over a four-year requisite service period on a straight-line basis, with the amount of compensation expense recognized at any date at least equaling the portion of the grant-date fair value of the award that is vested at that date.

A summary of our activity related to market-based RSUs (“MSUs”) during the three months ended March 31, 2021 is presented below:

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Total current income tax benefits associated with the exercise or settlement of Tripadvisor stock-based awards held by our employees was $9 million and $12 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Unrecognized Stock-Based Compensation

A summary of our remaining unrecognized stock-based compensation expense and the weighted average remaining amortization period at March 31, 2021 related to our non-vested equity awards is presented below (in millions, except in years information):

NOTE 9: STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

On January 31, 2018, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $250 million of our shares of common stock under a share repurchase program. This share repurchase program has no expiration date but may be suspended or terminated by our Board of Directors at any time. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company did not repurchase any shares of outstanding common stock under the share repurchase program. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, we repurchased 4,707,450 shares of our outstanding common stock at an average share price of $24.32 per share, exclusive of fees and commissions, or $115 million in the aggregate. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had $75 million remaining available to repurchase shares of our common stock under this share repurchase program and 18,844,614 shares of the Company’s common stock held in treasury with an aggregate cost of $722 million.

Our Board of Directors authorized and directed management, working with the Executive Committee of our Board of Directors, to affect the share repurchase programs discussed above in compliance with applicable legal requirements. While the Board of Directors has not suspended or terminated the share repurchase program, the terms of the 2015 Credit Facility currently limit the Company from engaging in share repurchases during the Leverage Covenant Holiday and the terms of our 2025 Indenture impose certain limitations and restrictions on share repurchases. Refer to “Note 5: Debt” for further information about our 2015 Credit Facility and our 2025 Indenture.

NOTE 10: EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

We compute basic earnings per share, or Basic EPS, by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. We compute the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period using the total of common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of the last day of the previous year end reporting period plus the weighted average of any additional shares issued and outstanding less the weighted average of any common shares repurchased during the reporting period.

Diluted Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Diluted earnings per share, or Diluted EPS, includes the potential dilution of common equivalent shares outstanding that could occur from stock-based awards and other stock-based commitments using the treasury stock method. We compute Diluted EPS by dividing net income (loss) by the sum of the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding during

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the period. We computed the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding during the period using the sum of (i) the number of shares of common stock and Class B common stock used in the Basic EPS calculation as indicated above; and (ii) if dilutive, the incremental weighted average common stock that we would issue upon the assumed exercise of outstanding common equivalent shares, primarily related to stock options and the vesting of restricted stock units using the treasury stock method; and (iii) if dilutive, performance-based and market-based awards based on the number of shares that would be issuable as of the end of the reporting period assuming the end of the reporting period was also the end of the contingency period.

Under the treasury stock method, the assumed proceeds calculation includes the actual proceeds to be received from the employee upon exercise of outstanding equity awards and the average unrecognized compensation cost during the period. The treasury stock method assumes that a company uses the proceeds from the exercise of an equity award to repurchase common stock at the average market price for the reporting period.

In periods of net income, shares of our common stock subject to the potential conversion of the 2026 Senior Notes outstanding during the period is also included in our weighted average number of shares outstanding used to calculate Diluted EPS using the if-converted method under GAAP, as share settlement is presumed. The Capped Calls are excluded from the calculation of Diluted EPS, as they would be antidilutive. However, upon conversion of the 2026 Senior Notes, unless the market price of our common stock exceeds the cap price, an exercise of the Capped Calls would generally offset any dilution from the 2026 Senior Notes from the conversion price up to the cap price. As of March 31, 2021, the market price of a share of our common stock did not exceed the $107.36 cap price.

In periods of a net loss, common equivalent shares are excluded from the calculation of Diluted EPS as their inclusion would have an antidilutive effect. Accordingly, for periods in which we report a net loss, such as for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, Diluted EPS is the same as Basic EPS, since dilutive common equivalent shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is antidilutive.

Below is a reconciliation of the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding in calculating Diluted EPS (shares in thousands and dollars in millions, except per share amounts) for the periods presented:

Potential common shares, consisting of outstanding stock options, service and performance-based RSUs, MSUs, and those issuable under the 2026 Senior Notes, totaling approximately 17.8 million shares and 17.0 million shares for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, have been excluded from the calculation of Diluted EPS because their effect would have been antidilutive. In addition, potential common shares from certain performance-based awards of approximately 0.1 million shares and 0.8 million shares for three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, for which all targets required to trigger vesting had not been achieved, were also excluded from the calculation of weighted average shares used to compute Diluted EPS.

The earnings per share amounts are the same for common stock and Class B common stock because the holders of each class are legally entitled to equal per share distributions whether through dividends or in liquidation. In addition, our non-vested RSUs and MSUs are entitled to dividend equivalents, which will be payable to the holder subject to, and only upon vesting of, the underlying awards and are therefore forfeitable. Given such dividend equivalents are forfeitable, we do not consider them to be participating securities and, consequently, they are not subject to the two‑class method of determining earnings per share.

NOTE 11: SEGMENT INFORMATION

We have two reportable segments: (1) Hotels, Media & Platform; and (2) Experiences & Dining. Our Hotels, Media & Platform reportable segment includes the following revenue sources: (1) Tripadvisor-branded hotels revenue – primarily consisting of hotel

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auction revenue, subscription-based advertising, and hotel sponsored placements revenue; and (2) Tripadvisor-branded display and platform revenue – consisting of display-based advertising revenue. Our Experiences & Dining reportable segment includes an aggregation of our Experiences and Dining operating segments. All remaining business units, including Rentals, Flights & Car, and Cruises have been combined into and reported as “Other”, which does not constitute a reportable segment, as none of these businesses meet the quantitative thresholds and other criteria to qualify as reportable segments. The nature of the services provided and revenue recognition policies are summarized by reported segment in “Note 3: Revenue Recognition.” Our operating segments are determined based on how our chief operating decision maker manages our business, regularly accesses information and evaluates performance for operating decision-making purposes, including allocation of resources.

All direct general and administrative costs are included in the applicable segments and business units; however, all corporate general and administrative costs are included in the Hotels, Media & Platform reportable segment. In addition, the Hotels, Media & Platform reportable segment includes all Tripadvisor-related brand advertising expenses (primarily television advertising), technical infrastructure, and other costs supporting the Tripadvisor platform.

Adjusted EBITDA is our segment profit measure and a key measure used by our management and Board of Directors to understand and evaluate the operating performance of our business and on which internal budgets and forecasts are based and approved. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) plus: (1) (provision) benefit for income taxes; (2) other income (expense), net; (3) depreciation and amortization; (4) stock-based compensation and other stock-settled obligations; (5) goodwill, intangible asset, and long-lived asset impairments; (6) legal reserves and settlements; (7) restructuring and other related reorganization costs; and (8) non-recurring expenses and income.

The following tables present our segment information for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 and includes a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss). We record depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and other stock-settled obligations, goodwill, intangible asset, and long-lived asset impairments, legal reserves and settlements, restructuring and other related reorganization costs, and other non-recurring expenses and income, net, which are excluded from segment operating performance, in corporate and unallocated. In addition, we do not report our assets, capital expenditures and related depreciation expense by segment as our CODM does not use this information to evaluate operating segments. Accordingly, we do not regularly provide such information by segment to our CODM. Intersegment revenue is not material and is included and eliminated in Other.