We recognize revenues when the services or products have been provided or delivered, the fees we charge are fixed or determinable, we and our advertisers or other customers understand the specific nature and terms of the agreed upon transactions, and collectability is reasonably assured.
Google AdWords is our auction-based advertising program that enables advertisers to place text-based and display ads on our websites and our Google Network Members’ websites. Display advertising comprises the videos, text, images, and other interactive ads that run across the web on computers and mobile devices, including smart phones and handheld computers such as netbooks and tablets. Most of our customers pay us on a cost-per-click basis, which means that an advertiser pays us only when a user clicks on one of its ads. We also offer advertising on a cost-per-impression basis that enables advertisers to pay us based on the number of times their ads display on our websites and our Google Network Members’ websites as specified by the advertisers.
Google AdSense refers to the online programs through which we distribute our advertisers’ AdWords ads for display on our Google Network Members’ websites.
We recognize as revenues the fees charged to advertisers each time a user clicks on one of the ads that appears next to the search results or content on our websites or our Google Network Members’ websites. For those advertisers using our cost-per-impression pricing, we recognize as revenues the fees charged to advertisers each time their ads are displayed on our websites or our Google Network Members’ websites. We report our Google AdSense revenues on a gross basis principally because we are the primary obligor to our advertisers.
For hardware product sales, where we sell directly to end customers or through distribution channels, revenue recognition generally occurs when products have been shipped, risk of loss has transferred to the customer, objective evidence exists that customer acceptance provisions have been met, no significant obligations remain and allowances for discounts, price protection, returns and customer incentives can be reasonably and reliably estimated. Recorded revenues are reduced by these allowances. Where these allowances cannot be reasonably and reliably estimated, we recognize revenue at the time the product sells through the distribution channel to the end customer.
For the sale of certain third-party products and services, we evaluate whether it is appropriate to recognize revenue based on the gross amount billed to the customers or the net amount earned as revenue share. Generally, when we are primarily obligated in a transaction, are subject to inventory risk or have latitude in establishing prices, or have several but not all of these indicators, revenue is recorded on a gross basis. We generally record the net amounts as revenue share earned if we are not primarily obligated and do not have inventory risk or latitude in establishing prices. Such amounts earned are typically determined using a fixed percentage, a fixed fee, or a combination of the two.
For arrangements that include multiple deliverables, primarily for products that contain software essential to the hardware products’ functionality and services, we allocate revenue to each unit of accounting based on their relative selling prices. In such circumstances, we use a hierarchy to determine the selling prices to be used for allocating revenue: (i) vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value (VSOE), (ii) third-party evidence of selling price, and (iii) best estimate of the selling price (ESP). VSOE generally exists only when we sell the deliverable separately and is the price actually charged by us for that deliverable. ESPs reflect our best estimates of what the selling prices of elements would be if they were sold regularly on a stand-alone basis.
We record deferred revenues upon invoicing or when cash payments are received in advance of our performance in the underlying agreement on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.
