Case 13-1: Refer-a-Friend Program

336 Words2 Pages
Case 13-1: Refer-a-Friend Program Runway Discount is an online retailer that sells discounted high-end fashion. The company decided to create the Refer-a-Friend Program where a current customer can refer a friend to the website. Once the new customer purchases merchandise, the existing customer will receive a $25 credit towards their next purchase. The $25 credit represents the fair value of the cost Runway would pay to earn a new customer from an unrelated third party or marketing firm. Runway Discount should record the $25 Referral Credit as a marketing expense. According to 605-50-45-2 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, the referral credit should be considered as a cost incurred because it meets both of the following conditions: a. Runway Discount receives an identifiable benefit in exchange for the $25 credit. In addition, the $25 credit is separate from the recipient’s purchase of Runway Discount’s products in such a way that Runway Discount could have entered into an exchange transaction with a third party (marketing firm) that does not purchase its products and still receive the same benefit. b. Runway Discount can reasonably estimate the fair value of the benefit from a referred customer. Runway Discount should record the $25 referral credit when it recognizes the revenue created by the friend that was referred. Section 605-50-25-3 in the Codification states that in regards to sales incentives that will not result in a loss on the sale of a product, “the vendor shall recognize the cost of such a sales incentive at the later of the following: a. The date at which the related revenue is recognized by the vendor b. The date at which the sales incentive is offered” Due to the fact that choice a is the later of the two choices, Runway Discount should record the $25 referral credit when it recognizes the revenue created

More about Case 13-1: Refer-a-Friend Program

Open Document