grepcent public filings, reorganized for comparison

Shift4 Payments, Inc. (FOUR) FY 2024 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from Shift4 Payments, Inc.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2024. Filing date: 2025-02-19. Report date: 2024-12-31. Accession: 0001794669-25-000011.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture. Confidence: high.

Company profile: FOUR · All MD&A years: index · Previous year: FY 2023 · Next year: FY 2025

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to provide a reader of our consolidated financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review Item 1A of this Annual Report for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operation for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 is included under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 29, 2024.

Overview

At Shift4, our mission is to boldly redefine commerce by simplifying complex payments ecosystems across the world.

We are a leading independent provider of software and payment processing solutions in the U.S. based on total volume of payments processed. We power billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in virtually every industry. We achieved our leadership position through decades of solving business and operational challenges facing our customers’ overall commerce needs. Our merchants range in size from small owner-operated local businesses to multinational enterprises conducting commerce globally.

Recent Developments

Chief Executive Officer Succession Planning

In December 2024, President Donald Trump nominated Jared Isaacman, our Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, to be the next administrator of NASA. Mr. Isaacman has announced his intention to remain as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board subject to the ratification and confirmation by the U.S. Senate, and to retain the majority of his equity interest while reducing his voting power. As a result, Mr. Isaacman intends to continue to serve as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board during the confirmation process. As part of planned succession planning, Taylor Lauber, our President, is expected to succeed Mr. Isaacman as our Chief Executive Officer upon Mr. Isaacman’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

As previously disclosed, our Board periodically reviews the Company’s leadership structure and may make such changes in the future as it deems appropriate. The Board recognizes that one of its key responsibilities is to evaluate and determine its optimal leadership structure to provide robust oversight of management and to determine whether it continues to best serve the Company and its stockholders. The nominating and corporate governance committee of our Board is responsible for overseeing the Company’s succession plan for the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officer roles. We continually strive to foster the professional development of management and team members. As a result, we have developed what we believe to be a very experienced and strong group of leaders, with their performance subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation, as potential successors to our senior management.

Pending Acquisitions

On February 16, 2025, we entered into a Transaction Agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) with Global Blue Group Holding AG, a stock corporation incorporated under the laws of Switzerland (“Global Blue”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Transaction Agreement.

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Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, we have agreed to file with the commercial register of the Canton of Zurich the documentation for the formation of a new wholly-owned Swiss limited liability company (“Merger Sub”), and following such registration of Merger Sub, cause Merger Sub to commence as promptly as reasonably practicable (but in no event later than 25 business days following the date of the Transaction Agreement), a tender offer (the “Offer”) to acquire all of the outstanding (i) registered ordinary shares, nominal value of CHF 0.01 per share, of Global Blue (the “Global Blue Common Shares”), at a price per share equal to $7.50 (the “Common Shares Consideration”), (ii) registered series A convertible preferred shares, nominal value of CHF 0.01 per share, of Global Blue (the “Global Blue Series A Shares”), at a price per share equal to $10.00, (iii) registered series B convertible preferred shares, nominal value of CHF 0.01 per share, of Global Blue (the “Global Blue Series B Shares”, and together with the Global Blue Common Shares and the GB Series A Shares, the “Global Blue Shares”), at a price per share equal to $11.81.

Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, Merger Sub’s obligation (and our obligation to cause Merger Sub) to accept for payment (such time of acceptance, the “Acceptance Time”) and pay for any Global Blue Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer is subject to customary conditions, including that, prior to the expiration of the Offer: (i) there be validly tendered and not properly withdrawn a number of Global Blue Shares that, together with any Global Blue Shares directly or indirectly owned by us or Merger Sub, would represent at least 90% of all the Global Blue Shares outstanding at the Acceptance Time (excluding any Global Blue Shares held by Global Blue) (the “Minimum Condition”); (ii) no governmental entity of competent jurisdiction in certain applicable jurisdictions shall have enacted or promulgated any law or order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) to prohibit, restrain, enjoin or make illegal the consummation of the Offer that remains in effect; (iii) certain required regulatory approvals shall have been obtained, received or deemed to have been received or in the case of any applicable waiting period, such waiting period shall have terminated or expired, in each case, either unconditionally or subject only to conditions the satisfaction of which would not have a Burdensome Effect (as defined in the Transaction Agreement); (iv) the Transaction Agreement shall not have been terminated; (v) Global Blue shall have obtained a written confirmation of the Swiss Federal Tax Administration confirming that the transaction structure does not result in Swiss withholding tax being triggered or imposed on Global Blue or Merger Sub as a result of or in connection with the Merger (as defined below) pursuant to the liquidation by proxy doctrine (stellvertretende Liquidation); and (vi) certain other customary conditions set forth in the Transaction Agreement, including on Annex C of the Transaction Agreement.

Following the completion of the Offer and provided that at such time we directly or indirectly have acquired or control at least 90% of the then outstanding Global Blue Shares (excluding Global Blue Shares held by Global Blue), we and Global Blue intend that, in accordance with the laws of Switzerland, and a merger agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) to be entered into between Merger Sub and Global Blue following the Acceptance Time, Merger Sub and Global Blue will consummate a statutory squeeze-out merger pursuant to which Global Blue will be merged with and into Merger Sub in accordance with Article 8 (2) of the Swiss Merger Act, and Merger Sub will continue as the surviving entity (the “Merger”). At the effective time of the Merger, each Global Blue Share (other than Global Blue Shares owned by us or Merger Sub) that is not validly tendered and accepted pursuant to the Offer after the Acceptance Time will thereupon be cancelled by operation of law as of the deletion of Global Blue from the commercial register in accordance with Article 21 (3) of the Swiss Merger Act and converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration, and each Global Blue Share owned by us or Merger Sub will thereupon be deemed cancelled without any conversion thereof, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

The foregoing description of the Offer, the Merger and the Transaction Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Transaction Agreement. The Transaction Agreement has been incorporated herein by reference to provide information regarding the terms of the Transaction Agreement and is not intended to modify or supplement any factual disclosures about Global Blue or us in any public reports filed with the SEC by Global Blue or us. In particular, the assertions embodied in the representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Transaction Agreement were made only for the purposes of the Transaction Agreement, were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Transaction Agreement, and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties, including being qualified by information in confidential disclosure schedules provided by Global Blue to us in connection with the signing of the Transaction Agreement. These disclosure schedules contain information that modifies, qualifies and creates exceptions to the representations and warranties set forth in the Transaction Agreement. Moreover, the representations and warranties in the Transaction Agreement were used for the purpose of allocating risk between Global Blue and us, rather than establishing matters of fact. Accordingly, the representations and warranties in the Transaction Agreement may not constitute the actual state of facts about Global Blue or us. The representations and warranties set forth in the Transaction Agreement may also be subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from that generally applicable to investors under federal securities laws. Therefore, the Transaction Agreement is included with this filing only to provide investors with information regarding the terms of the Transaction Agreement, and not to provide investors with any other factual information regarding the parties or their respective businesses.

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Tender and Support Agreements

On February 16, 2025, in connection with the Transaction Agreement, we entered into Tender and Support Agreements (each a “Support Agreement” and collectively, the “Support Agreements”) with each of the following shareholders of Global Blue (i) SL Globetrotter, L.P., (ii) Global Blue Holding LP, (iii) Ant International Technologies (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, (iv) CK Opportunities Wolverine S.À.R.L., (v) Partners Group Private Equity (Master Fund), LLC, (vi) Partner Group Barrier Reef, L.P., (vii) Partners Group Client Access 5 L.P. Inc., (viii) Tencent Mobility Limited and (ix) certain other investors of Global Blue management (each, a “Supporting Shareholder”, and together, the “Supporting Shareholders”), pursuant to which each Supporting Shareholder agreed, among other things, to tender its Global Blue Shares in the Offer and vote its Global Blue Shares at any meeting of the shareholders of Global Blue (i) for, among other things, the approval and adoption of the Board Modification and any other proposal required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement, (ii) against any proposal or motion that would reasonably be expected to (A) directly result in a breach of any covenant, representation or warranty or any other obligation or agreement of Global Blue contained in the Transaction Agreement, or (B) result in any conditions to the Offer set forth in Annex C of the Transaction Agreement not being satisfied prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on September 30, 2025 (or February 16, 2026 if such date is extended pursuant to the Transaction Agreement), (iii) against any change in the Global Blue Board (other than the Board Modification or in the event of a director’s death or resignation, to fill the vacancy created thereby) and (iv) against any Company Takeover Proposal and against any other action, agreement or transaction involving Global Blue that would reasonably be expected to materially impede, materially delay or prevent the consummation of the Offer. As of February 16, 2025, the Supporting Shareholders owned an aggregate of approximately 90% of the Global Blue Shares.

The foregoing description of the Support Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of each of the Support Agreements.

Debt Commitment Letter

On February 16, 2025, in connection with the Transaction Agreement, Shift4 Payments, LLC, entered into a commitment letter with Goldman Sachs Bank USA (“GS”), pursuant to which GS has committed to (i) provide Shift4 Payments, LLC with 364-day bridge loan facilities in an aggregate principal amount of $1.795 billion (the “Bridge Facilities”), consisting of (x) a senior secured 364-day bridge loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion (the “Senior Secured Bridge Facility”) and (y) a senior unsecured 364-day bridge loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $795.0 million (the “Senior Unsecured Bridge Facility”), in each case, subject to customary conditions, and (ii) to backstop an amendment to, or replacement of, Shift4 Payments, LLC’s existing $450.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Backstop Revolving Facility” and, together with the Bridge Facilities, collectively, the “Facilities”) in order to, among other things, permit the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement, the incurrence of the Bridge Facilities and any other permanent financing issued in lieu thereof or to refinance the loans thereunder, in each case, subject to customary conditions. The Facilities are available together with cash on hand to, among other things, finance the consideration payable by us and our subsidiaries under the Transaction Agreement, refinance certain indebtedness of GB and its subsidiaries, and to pay costs, fees and expenses in connection with the Facilities and the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement. Prior to the funding thereof, Shift4 Payments, LLC may, at its election, reallocate the commitments under the Bridge Facilities among the Senior Secured Bridge Facility and the Senior Unsecured Bridge Facility. The consummation of the Offer and the Merger are not subject to any financing condition.

Please see Part I Item 1A. “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Transactions” for an overview of the risks related to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement.

Recent Acquisitions

On November 18, 2024, we completed the acquisition of Eigen Payments (“Eigen”) for $115.0 million of cash, net of cash acquired. Eigen is a Canadian-based provider of payment solutions for the retail, restaurant and hospitality industries.

On November 8, 2024, we completed the acquisition of Givex Corp. (“Givex”) for $127.8 million of cash, net of cash acquired. Givex is a global provider of gift cards, loyalty programs, and point-of-sale solutions.

We believe both of these transactions will increase our customer base and geographic footprint.

Factors Impacting Our Business and Results of Operations

In general, our results of operations are impacted by factors such as the adoption of software solutions that are integrated with our payment solutions, continued investment in our core capabilities, ongoing pursuit of strategic acquisitions, and macro-level economic trends.

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Increased adoption of software-integrated payments. We primarily generate revenue through fees assessed on end-to-end payment volume initiated through our internal sales team and our integrated software partners. These fees include volume-based payments, transaction fees and subscription fees for software and technology solutions. We expect to continue to grow through both our internal sales team and integrated software partners, both of which have proven to be an effective and efficient way of acquiring new merchants and servicing these relationships.

Continued focus on converting our gateway-only customers to our end-to-end payments offering. Currently, a significant percentage of our merchant base relies only on our proprietary gateway technology solution to process card-based payments. However, as more of these gateway-only merchants choose to also adopt our end-to-end payment solutions, our revenue per merchant is expected to increase given the fees we generate on end-to-end payment processing services are significantly higher than the per transaction fees we earn on gateway-only services. We also have the opportunity to implement price increases for gateway-only merchants who have chosen to not adopt our end-to-end payment solutions.

Mix of our merchant base. We continue to experience a shift to higher average revenue and volume per merchant. The revenue and margin of each merchant within our portfolio is affected by several factors, including the amount of payment volume processed, the industry vertical in which the merchant operates, and the number of solutions implemented by the merchant.

Ability to attract and retain internal sales team and software partners. Our ability to attract and retain our internal sales team and software partners impacts our future growth and our ability to service our existing base of merchants. To facilitate internal talent attraction and retention, we strive to make Shift4 an inclusive and safe workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by competitive compensation, benefits and health and wellness programs. It is also critical we maintain our product leadership through continued investment in innovative technology solutions as a means to ensure we retain our current software partners while attracting new software partners.

Investment in product, distribution and operations. We make significant investments in both new product development and existing product enhancements, such as mobile POS, cloud enablement for our software partners’ existing systems, and contactless payments, including QR code based mobile payment technologies. New product features and functionality are brought to market through varied distribution and promotional activities, including collaborative efforts with industry leading software providers, tradeshows, and customer conferences. We will continue to invest in operational support in order to maintain service levels expected by our merchant customers.

Pursuit of strategic acquisitions. We intend to continue to pursue strategic acquisitions as part of our growth strategy that includes adding complementary technology capabilities to service our base of customers and adding critical sales and support capabilities within a specific industry vertical or geography. While these acquisitions are intended to add long-term value, in the short term they may have an adverse impact on operating margins.

Impact of international operations. As our international operations continue to expand, we will be increasingly subject to foreign exchange risk due to fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the foreign currencies of countries in which we operate. Additionally, as described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, international operations expose us to additional risks and subject us to international laws and regulations.

Economic conditions and resulting consumer spending trends. Changes in macro-level consumer spending trends, as a result of inflation or reduced consumer confidence and discretionary spending, could affect the amount of volume processed on our platform, thus resulting in fluctuations in our revenue. There is additional political uncertainty in the U.S. as a result of the need for the federal government to increase its debt limit. A significant escalation or expansion of economic disruption could continue to impact consumer spending, broaden inflationary costs, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Our revenue is also impacted by seasonal consumer spending patterns, which historically have resulted in higher volumes and revenue being reported in our second and third fiscal quarters.

Key Financial Definitions

The following briefly describes the components of revenue and expenses as presented in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Gross revenue consists of payments-based revenue and subscription and other revenues:

Payments-based revenue includes fees for payment processing services and gateway services. Payment processing fees are primarily driven as a percentage of end-to-end payment volume. They may also have a fixed fee, a minimum monthly usage fee and a fee based on transactions. Gateway services, data encryption and tokenization fees are primarily driven by per transaction fees as well as monthly usage fees. Included in payments-based revenue are fees earned from our international payments platform, strategic enterprise merchant relationships, and alternative payments methods, including cryptocurrency, gift cards and stock donations.

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Subscription and other revenues include software as a service (“SaaS”) fees for POS systems and terminals provided to merchants. POS and terminal SaaS fees are assessed based on the type and quantity of equipment deployed to the merchant. SaaS fees also include statement fees, fees for our proprietary business intelligence software and other annual fees. Subscription and other revenues also includes revenue derived from hardware sales, software license sales, third-party residuals and fees charged for technology support.

Cost of sales consists of interchange and processing fees, residual commissions, equipment and other costs of sales:

Interchange and processing fees represent amounts owed to card issuing banks and assessments paid to card associations based on transaction processing volume. These also include fees incurred by third-parties for data transmission and settlement of funds, such as processors and our sponsor bank.

Residual commissions represent monthly payments to third-party distribution partners. These costs are typically based on a percentage of payments-based revenue.

Equipment represents our costs of devices that are sold to merchants.

Other costs of sales includes amortization of internally developed capitalized software development costs, purchased capitalized software, acquired technology and capitalized customer acquisition costs. It also includes shipping and handling costs related to the delivery of devices. Capitalized software development costs are amortized using the straight-line method on a product-by-product basis over the estimated useful life of the software. Capitalized software, acquired technology and capitalized customer acquisition costs are also amortized on a straight-line basis.

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation, benefits and other expenses associated with corporate management, finance, sales, human resources, shared services, information technology and other activities.

Revaluation of contingent liabilities represents adjustments to the fair value of contingent liabilities associated with acquisitions.

Depreciation and amortization expense consists of depreciation and amortization expenses related to merchant relationships, trademarks and trade names, residual commission buyouts, equipment under lease, leasehold improvements, other intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment. We depreciate and amortize our assets on a straight-line basis. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the estimated life of the leasehold improvement or the remaining lease term. Maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the useful life of the respective assets, are charged to expense as incurred. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives which range from two years to twenty years.

Professional expenses consists of costs incurred for accounting, tax, legal, and consulting services. These include professional services related to acquisitions.

Advertising and marketing expenses relate to costs incurred to participate in industry tradeshows and dealer conferences, advertising initiatives to build brand awareness, and expenses to fulfill loyalty program rewards earned by software partners.

Interest income primarily consists of interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalents.

Other income (expense), net primarily consists of other non-operating items. This includes transactional gains and losses related to foreign currency.

Gain on investments in securities represents adjustments to the fair value of our investments in securities.

Change in TRA liability represents adjustments to the Tax Receivable Agreement (“TRA”) liability.

Interest expense consists of interest costs incurred on our borrowings and amortization of capitalized financing costs.

Income tax benefit (expense) represents federal, state, local and foreign income taxes.

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests arises from net income from the non-owned portion of businesses where we have a controlling interest but less than 100% ownership. This represents the noncontrolling interests in Shift4 Payments, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, which is comprised of the income allocated to Continuing Equity Owners as a result of their proportional ownership of LLC Interests. In addition, this represents the income allocated to shareholders of Vectron common stock besides us.

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Comparison of Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

The following table sets forth the consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented.

Year Ended December 31,$ change
(in millions)20242023
Payments-based revenue$2,990.1$2,386.0$604.1
Subscription and other revenues340.5178.8161.7
Gross revenue3,330.62,564.8765.8
Network fees(1,976.2)(1,624.4)(351.8)
Other costs of sales (exclusive of certain depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)(381.3)(252.6)(128.7)
General and administrative expenses(459.5)(329.3)(130.2)
Revaluation of contingent liabilities(4.0)(23.1)19.1
Depreciation and amortization expense (a)(199.5)(153.8)(45.7)
Impairment of intangible assets(18.6)18.6
Professional expenses(41.4)(33.1)(8.3)
Advertising and marketing expenses(21.7)(15.1)(6.6)
Income from operations247.0114.8132.2
Interest income33.731.91.8
Other income (expense), net1.8(3.9)5.7
Gain on investments in securities66.712.254.5
Change in TRA liability(289.0)(3.4)(285.6)
Interest expense(61.8)(32.1)(29.7)
Income (loss) before income taxes(1.6)119.5(121.1)
Income tax benefit296.13.4292.7
Net income294.5122.9171.6
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests(64.9)(36.7)(28.2)
Net income attributable to Shift4 Payments, Inc.$229.6$86.2$143.4

(a)Depreciation and amortization expense includes depreciation of equipment under lease of $54.4 million and $35.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Results of Operations

Year ended December 31, 2024 compared to year ended December 31, 2023

Revenues (in millions)

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Gross revenue increased by $765.8 million, or 30%. Gross revenue is comprised of payments-based revenue and subscription and other revenues.

Payments-based revenue increased by $604.1 million, or 25%, primarily due to:

•The increase in end-to-end payment volume of $55.8 billion, or 51%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

•Growth in end-to-end payment volume outpaced payments-based revenue growth, primarily due to our continued onboarding of larger merchants with lower unit pricing than our existing customer base.

Subscription and other revenues increased by $161.7 million, or 90%. The increase in subscription and other revenues was primarily driven by the impact of recent acquisitions as well as higher SaaS revenue associated with our SkyTab solutions.

Cost of Sales

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Network fees$(1,976.2)$(1,624.4)$(351.8)

The 22% increase in network fees was primarily due to the increase in payments-based revenue, which increased 25%.

Gross revenue less network fees increased by $414.0 million, or 44%, primarily due to the increase in end-to-end payment volume, the impact of recent acquisitions and higher SaaS revenue. See Key Performance Indicators and Non-GAAP Measures for a discussion and reconciliation of gross revenue less network fees.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Other costs of sales (exclusive of certain depreciation and amortization expense)$(381.3)$(252.6)$(128.7)

The increase in other costs of sales was primarily driven by our recent acquisitions and incremental residual commissions associated with revenue growth.

Operating Expenses

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
General and administrative expenses$(459.5)$(329.3)$(130.2)

The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to expenses associated with our continued growth, which includes the impact of our recent acquisitions.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Revaluation of contingent liabilities$(4.0)$(23.1)$19.1

The expense for revaluation of contingent liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily driven by fair value adjustments to contingent liabilities arising from various acquisitions we completed in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The expense for revaluation of contingent liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by the remeasurement of the contingent liability related to the acquisition of Online Payments Group.

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Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Depreciation and amortization expense$(199.5)$(153.8)$(45.7)

The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily due to the amortization of intangible assets recognized in connection with recent acquisitions, and increased equipment under lease associated with the growth of our SkyTab offering.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Impairment of intangible assets$$(18.6)$18.6

The non-cash impairment of intangible assets was $18.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the fourth quarter of 2023, in conjunction with the acquisition of Finaro, we ceased development on several in-process software development projects. It was determined that the intellectual property obtained in the Finaro transaction was better suited for the objectives of these projects.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Professional expenses$(41.4)$(33.1)$(8.3)

Professional expenses included expenses associated with acquisitions. The increase in professional expenses was primarily driven by higher acquisition-related costs as compared to the prior year period.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Advertising and marketing expenses$(21.7)$(15.1)$(6.6)

The increase in advertising and marketing expenses was primarily due to new sponsorship contracts.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Interest income$33.7$31.9$1.8

The increase in interest income was primarily due to an increase in our average interest-earning cash balance.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Other income (expense), net$1.8$(3.9)$5.7

The increase in other income was primarily due to transactional gains related to foreign currency in 2024, as compared to losses in 2023.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Gain on investments in securities$66.7$12.2$54.5

The realized gain on investments in securities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was due to the sale of one of our non-marketable equity investments. The unrealized gain on investments in securities for both the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was due to fair value adjustments to our non-marketable equity investments.

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Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Change in TRA liability$(289.0)$(3.4)$(285.6)

During the year ended December 31, 2024, in connection with our assessment of the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, we concluded that it was probable that we will be able to realize substantially all of the tax benefits associated with the TRA to date, based on estimates of future taxable income. In the future, we expect the TRA liability to increase as additional tax benefits are established through exchanges of LLC interests with Rook. See Note 13 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on the TRA.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Interest expense$(61.8)$(32.1)$(29.7)

The increase in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to the issuance of our 2032 Senior Notes in August 2024. The annual cash interest expense related to the 2032 Senior Notes is expected to be approximately $74.0 million.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023$ Change
Income tax benefit$296.1$3.4$292.7

The income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2024 relates primarily to the release of the previously recorded valuation allowance against certain deferred tax assets in the U.S. During 2024, we assessed the realizability of deferred tax assets and concluded that it is more likely than not that our net deferred tax assets will be realized and that a full valuation allowance is no longer required. The assessment included the fact that as of September 30, 2024, we are no longer in a three-year cumulative loss position and are projecting sufficient income in future periods to realize our deferred tax assets. We expect income tax expense to increase in future years as a result of increased taxable income.

Key Performance Indicators and Non-GAAP Measures

The following table sets forth our key performance indicators and non-GAAP measures for the periods presented:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023
End-to-end payment volume$164,817.1$109,034.0
Gross revenue less network fees1,354.4940.4
EBITDA323.1334.3
Adjusted EBITDA677.4459.9

End-to-end payment volume

End-to-end payment volume is defined as the total dollar amount of payments that we deliver for settlement on behalf of our merchants. Included in end-to-end payment volume are dollars routed via our international payments platform and alternative payment methods, including cryptocurrency and stock donations, plus volume we route to one or more third party merchant acquirers on behalf of strategic enterprise merchant relationships. This volume does not include volume processed through our legacy gateway-only offering.

Gross revenue less network fees, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We use supplemental measures of our performance which are derived from our consolidated financial information but which are not presented in our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures include: gross revenue less network fees, which includes interchange and assessment fees; earnings before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”); and Adjusted EBITDA.

Gross revenue less network fees represents a key performance metric that management uses to measure changes in the mix and value derived from our customer base as we continue to execute our strategy to expand our reach to serve larger, complex merchants.

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Adjusted EBITDA is the primary financial performance measure used by management to evaluate its business and monitor results of operations. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA further adjusted for certain non-cash and other nonrecurring items that management believes are not indicative of ongoing operations. These adjustments include acquisition, restructuring and integration costs, revaluation of contingent liabilities, unrealized gains or losses on investments in securities, changes in TRA liability, equity-based compensation expense, and foreign exchange and other nonrecurring items. The financial impact of certain elements of these activities is often significant to our overall financial performance and can adversely affect the comparability of our operating results and investors’ ability to analyze the business from period to period.

We use non-GAAP financial measures to supplement financial information presented on a GAAP basis. We believe that excluding certain items from our GAAP results allows management to better understand our consolidated financial performance from period to period and better project our future consolidated financial performance as forecasts are developed at a level of detail different from that used to prepare GAAP-based financial measures. Moreover, we believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide our stakeholders with useful information to help them evaluate our operating results by facilitating an enhanced understanding of our operating performance and enabling them to make more meaningful period to period comparisons. There are limitations to the use of the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this Annual Report. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.

The non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered as indicators of performance in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should be read only in conjunction with financial information presented on a GAAP basis. Reconciliations of gross revenue less network fees, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure are presented below. We encourage you to review the reconciliations in conjunction with the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures for each of the periods presented. In future periods, we may exclude such items and may incur income and expenses similar to these excluded items.

Reconciliations of gross revenue less network fees, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

The tables below provide reconciliations of gross profit to gross revenue less network fees and net income on a consolidated basis for the periods presented to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA.

Gross revenue less network fees:

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(in millions)
Gross revenue$3,330.6$2,564.8
Less: Network fees(1,976.2)(1,624.4)
Less: Other costs of sales (exclusive of depreciation of equipment under lease)(381.3)(252.6)
973.1687.8
Less: Depreciation of equipment under lease(54.4)(35.3)
Gross profit (a)$918.7$652.5
Gross profit (a)$918.7$652.5
Add back: Other costs of sales381.3252.6
Add back: Depreciation of equipment under lease54.435.3
Gross revenue less network fees$1,354.4$940.4

(a)The determination of gross profit is inclusive of depreciation of equipment under lease that is included in Depreciation and amortization expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The table reflects the determination of gross profit for all periods presented. Although gross profit is not presented on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, it represents the most comparable metric calculated under U.S. GAAP to non-GAAP gross revenues less network fees.

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EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023
Net income$294.5$122.9
Interest expense61.832.1
Interest income(33.7)(31.9)
Income tax benefit(296.1)(3.4)
Depreciation and amortization296.6214.6
EBITDA323.1334.3
Acquisition, restructuring and integration costs (a)38.828.3
Revaluation of contingent liabilities (b)4.023.1
Impairment of intangible assets18.6
Gain on investments in securities (c)(66.7)(12.2)
Change in TRA liability (d)289.03.4
Equity-based compensation (e)67.959.1
Foreign exchange and other nonrecurring items (f)21.35.3
Adjusted EBITDA$677.4$459.9

(a)For the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily consisted of $19.7 million of acquisition-related costs and $18.6 million of restructuring costs. For the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily consisted of $23.2 million of acquisition-related costs and $4.6 million of restructuring costs.

(b)Consisted of fair value adjustments to contingent liabilities arising from acquisitions.

(c)See Note 12 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on the investments in non-marketable securities.

(d)See Note 13 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on the TRA.

(e)Consisted of equity-based compensation expense for RSUs, including employer taxes for vested RSUs. See Note 19 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on equity-based compensation. We exclude noncash equity-based compensation charges and additional Federal Insurance Contribution Act (“FICA”) and related payroll tax expense incurred when employees vest in restricted stock awards. Although noncash equity-based compensation and the additional FICA and related payroll tax expenses are necessary to attract and retain employees, we place our primary emphasis on stockholder dilution as compared to the accounting charges related to such equity-based compensation plans.

(f)For the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily consisted of $9.7 million of other non-routine selling, general, and administrative expenses, $7.8 million of expenses related to the upgrade of our internal IT systems, and $5.2 million of legal and professional expenses for non-routine matters, partially offset by $1.4 million of unrealized foreign exchange gains. For the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily consisted of $4.0 million of unrealized foreign exchange losses and $1.9 million of legal and professional expenses for non-routine matters.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

We have historically sourced our liquidity requirements primarily with cash flow from operations and, when needed, with debt or equity financing. The principal uses for liquidity have been acquisitions, capital expenditures, share repurchases and debt service. As of December 31, 2024, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $1,211.9 million, of which approximately $163.5 million was held outside of the U.S. by our foreign legal entities. In addition, “Settlement assets” includes $226.7 million of cash that will be used to settle merchant liabilities. The cash included within Settlement assets is typically paid to merchants within a few days of receipt in order to settle related liabilities.

As of December 31, 2024, the $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes are classified as current on our balance sheet, as they will mature within 12 months. We intend to settle conversions for the Convertible Notes by paying in cash up to the principal amount of the Convertible Notes with any excess to be paid or delivered, as the case may be, in cash or shares of Class A common stock or a combination of both at our election, based on the conversion rate.

See “Pending Acquisitions—Debt Commitment Letter” for a description of our financing arrangements in connection with the Transaction Agreement described in that section.

We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Shift4 Payments, Inc. is a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of its own. As a result, Shift4 Payments, Inc.’s ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock, if any, is dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Shift4 Payments, LLC. The amounts available to Shift4 Payments, Inc. to pay cash dividends are subject to the covenants and distribution restrictions in its subsidiaries’ agreements governing its indebtedness, including covenants in such agreements providing that the payments of dividends or other distributions are subject to annual limitations based on our market capitalization.

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The following table sets forth summary cash flow information for the periods presented:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20242023
Net cash provided by operating activities$500.3$346.0
Net cash used in investing activities(691.1)(301.9)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities929.2(109.9)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash(21.6)11.1
Change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash$716.8$(54.7)

Operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities consists of net income adjusted for certain non-cash items and changes in other assets and liabilities.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash provided by operating activities of $500.3 million was primarily a result of net income of $294.5 million, change in TRA liability of $289.0 million, depreciation and amortization of $296.6 million and equity-based compensation of $65.5 million, partially offset by deferred income taxes of $(322.0) million, gain on investments in securities of $(66.7) million and an impact from working capital items of $(75.9) million.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by operating activities of $346.0 million was primarily a result of net income of $122.9 million, depreciation and amortization of $214.6 million, equity-based compensation of $57.4 million, and revaluation of contingent liabilities of $23.1 million, partially offset by gain on investments in securities of $(12.2) million and an impact from working capital items of $(95.2) million.

Investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities includes cash paid for acquisitions, deposits made with our sponsor bank, residual commission buyouts, purchases of property, plant and equipment, purchases of equipment to be leased, purchases of intangible assets, investments in securities, and capitalized software development costs.

Net cash used in investing activities was $691.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $389.2 million compared to net cash used in investing activities of $301.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily the result of a $384.9 million increase in net cash paid for acquisitions and $73.2 million of deposits made with our sponsor bank, offset by a $111.5 million increase in proceeds from the sale of investments in securities.

Financing activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $929.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1,039.1 million compared to net cash used in financing activities of $109.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily due to the $1,100.0 million of proceeds received from the issuance of the 2032 Senior Notes in 2024 and a $73.2 million increase in borrowings on the settlement line of credit, partially offset by $70.8 million of customer bank deposits being returned to depositors in connection with our transition of Finaro from a bank to a payment institution in 2024 and a $40.5 million increase in payments for the repurchase of common stock.

Settlement assets includes both cash and receivables from card networks. From period to period, the mix of cash and receivables included in Settlement assets may change, driving increases or decreases in financing cash flow.

Convertible Notes, Senior Notes and Revolving Credit Facility

As of December 31, 2024, we had $2,872.5 million total principal amount of debt outstanding, including $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes, $450.0 million of 2026 Senior Notes, $632.5 million of 2027 Convertible Notes and $1,100.0 million of 2032 Senior Notes.

As of December 31, 2023, we had $1,772.5 million total principal amount of debt outstanding, including $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes, $450.0 million of 2026 Senior Notes, and $632.5 million of 2027 Convertible Notes.

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Convertible Notes – 2025 Notes

In December 2020, Shift4 Payments, Inc. issued an aggregate principal amount of $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes, to qualified institutional buyers in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $673.6 million from the 2025 Convertible Notes Offering. The net proceeds of the 2025 Convertible Notes Offering, together with cash on hand, was used for general corporate purposes. The 2025 Convertible Notes do not bear regular interest, and the principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes does not accrete and will mature on December 15, 2025 unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. The initial conversion rate is 12.4262 shares of Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2025 Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $80.48 per share of Class A common stock), subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. None of the specified events for the conversion of the 2025 Convertible Notes occurred as of December 31, 2024.

Senior Notes – 2026 Notes

In October 2020, Shift4 Payments, LLC and Shift4 Payments Finance Sub, Inc. (together, the “Issuers”) issued an aggregate $450.0 million principal amount of the 2026 Senior Notes. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $442.8 million from the offering of the 2026 Senior Notes. The net proceeds of the 2026 Senior Notes offering, together with cash on hand, were used to repay all indebtedness outstanding under the First Lien Term Loan Facility. The 2026 Senior Notes mature on November 1, 2026, and accrue interest at a rate of 4.625% per year. Interest on the 2026 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each May 1, and November 1, commencing on May 1, 2021. At any time, the Issuers may redeem all or a portion of the 2026 Senior Notes at the redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding, the date of redemption. In March 2022, we entered into a supplemental indenture to allow for the repurchase of capital stock as part of the Market Capitalization exception under the original indenture.

Convertible Notes – 2027 Notes

In July 2021, Shift4 Payments, Inc. issued an aggregate principal amount of $632.5 million of 2027 Convertible Notes to qualified institutional buyers in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $617.7 million from the offering of the 2027 Convertible Notes. The net proceeds of the 2027 Convertible Notes Offering, together with cash on hand, was used for general corporate purposes. The 2027 Convertible Notes will mature on August 1, 2027, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted, and accrue interest at a rate of 0.50% per year. Interest on the 2027 Convertible Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each February 1 and August 1, commencing on February 1, 2022. We will settle conversions by paying in cash up to the principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes with any excess to be paid or delivered, as the case may be, in cash or shares of Class A common stock or a combination of both at our election, based on the conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is 8.1524 shares of Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2027 Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $122.66 per share of Class A common stock), subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. None of the specified events for the conversion of the 2027 Convertible Notes occurred as of December 31, 2024.

Senior Notes – 2032 Notes

In August 2024, the Issuers issued an aggregate $1,100.0 million principal amount of the 2032 Senior Notes. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $1,088.7 million from the offering of the 2032 Senior Notes. The 2032 Senior Notes mature on August 15, 2032, and accrue interest at a rate of 6.750% per year. Interest on the 2032 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each February 15, and August 15, commencing on February 15, 2025. At any time on or after August 15, 2027, the Issuers may redeem all or a portion of the 2032 Senior Notes at the redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 2032 Senior Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding, the date of redemption.

Second Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility

In September 2024, Shift4 Payments, LLC (the “Borrower”) entered into a Second Amended and Restated First Lien Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), providing for a $450.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”), $112.5 million of which is available for the issuance of letters of credit. The Credit Agreement amended, restated and replaced the Borrower’s prior Amended and Restated First Lien Credit Agreement, entered into on January 29, 2021, as amended, and refinanced the $100.0 million revolving credit facility thereunder. The Company capitalized approximately $4.3 million of financing fees in connection with this refinancing.

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Loans incurred under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest a rate per annum equal to, at the Borrower’s option, either (i) a term SOFR based rate (subject to a 0.0% floor), plus a margin of 2.00% per annum, or (ii) an alternate base rate (equal to the highest of the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus 0.50%, the term SOFR rate for an interest period for one month (subject to a 0.0% floor) plus 1.00%, and the prime rate announced by the administrative agent from time to time), plus a margin of 1.00% per annum. The Revolving Credit Facility matures on September 5, 2029. The Credit Agreement requires periodic interest payments until maturity on any outstanding amounts borrowed. In addition, the Borrower is required to pay a commitment fee under the Revolving Credit Facility in respect of the unutilized commitments thereunder at a rate of 0.25% per annum. The Borrower is also subject to customary letter of credit and agency fees.

There were no borrowings and borrowing capacity on the Revolving Credit Facility was $450.0 million as of December 31, 2024.

Settlement Line Agreement

In September 2024, we entered into the Settlement Line Credit Agreement (the “Settlement Line Agreement”), by and between Shift4 LLC, as the borrower, and Citizens Bank, N.A. (“Citizens”), as the lender, providing for a settlement line of credit with an aggregate available amount of up to $100.0 million (the “Settlement Line”). Draws under the Settlement Line bear interest at a rate per annum equal to either (x) a daily simple SOFR based rate (subject to a 0.0% floor), plus an applicable margin of 0.75%, or (y) to the extent required by the Settlement Line Agreement upon the occurrence of certain specified events, an alternate base rate (equal to the highest of the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus 0.50%, the daily simple SOFR rate (subject to a 0.0% floor) plus 1.00%, and the prime rate announced by Citizens from time to time). In addition to making periodic interest payments on the principal amount of outstanding draws under the Settlement Line, we are required to pay an unused fee under the Settlement Line in respect of the unused availability thereunder at a rate equal to 0.15% per annum. The purpose of the Settlement Line is to provide financing for certain settlement obligations of Shift4 LLC’s merchants and to eliminate the requirement for cash collateral under the sponsorship agreement with Citizens (the “Sponsorship Agreement”), which was amended in conjunction with the closing of the settlement line agreement. The Settlement Line is scheduled to mature on September 29, 2025, subject to extensions. As of December 31, 2024, there were $73.2 million of borrowings against the Settlement Line. The borrowings against the Settlement Line have been deposited in an account owned and controlled by Citizens. The deposit and borrowing have been netted on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet because a right of offset exists and the parties intend to net settle.

Covenants

The Company expects to be in compliance with such financial covenants for at least 12 months following the issuance of these consolidated financial statements.

Stock repurchases

In May 2024, the Board authorized a stock repurchase program (the “May 2024 Program”), pursuant to which we are authorized to repurchase up to $500.0 million of shares of our Class A common stock through December 31, 2025. The May 2024 Program replaced our prior stock repurchase program from December 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 1,605,488 shares of Class A common stock for $145.9 million, including commissions paid, at an average price paid of $90.83 per share. As of December 31, 2024, $354.1 million remains available under the May 2024 Program.

Cash Requirements

We believe that our cash and cash equivalents and future cash flow from operations will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months and into the foreseeable future based on our current operating plan. Our material cash requirements include the following contractual obligations:

Debt

As of December 31, 2024, we had $2,872.5 million of fixed rate debt principal outstanding with maturities beginning in 2025 with the $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes. Future interest payments associated with the outstanding debt total $645.1 million, with $98.2 million payable within twelve months.

Contingent Liabilities

As of December 31, 2024, the fair value of contingent liabilities to potentially be paid out in cash was $26.2 million, with $7.2 million payable within twelve months. As of December 31, 2024, the maximum amount of contingent liabilities to potentially be paid out in cash was $43.7 million, with $7.3 million payable within twelve months.

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Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our historical financial condition and results of operations for the periods described is based on our audited consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these historical financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments in certain circumstances that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by U.S. GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application, while in other cases, significant judgment is required in selecting among available alternative accounting standards that allow different accounting treatment for similar transactions. We consider these policies requiring significant management judgment to be critical accounting policies.

We have provided a summary of our significant accounting policies in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The following critical accounting discussion pertains to accounting policies management believes are most critical to the portrayal of our historical financial condition and results of operations and that require significant, difficult, subjective or complex judgments. Other companies in similar businesses may use different estimation policies and methodologies, which may impact the comparability of our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows to those of other companies.

Revenue recognition

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex agreements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction or an agent can also require considerable judgment. We have concluded that in nearly all cases we are the principal in our payment processing agreements as we control the service on our payments platform, which is transformative in nature and allows for front-end and back-end risk mitigation, merchant portability, third-party software integrations, and enhanced reporting functionality. We also contract directly with our merchants and have complete pricing latitude on the processing fees charged to our merchants. As such, we bear the credit risk for network fees and transactions. For our SaaS agreements, we allocate revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price, which is based on the estimated fair value of each product and service. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

Business combinations and the valuation of acquired assets and liabilities

Upon acquisition of a company, we determine if the transaction is a business combination, which is accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method, once control is obtained of a business, the assets acquired, and liabilities assumed, including amounts attributed to noncontrolling interests, are recorded at fair value. The determination of the fair value of these assets and liabilities is based on estimates which are subject to significant management judgment. The fair values of intangible assets are typically estimated using the relief-from-royalty method or the multi-period excess earnings method. Our estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions, including but not limited to projected revenues, earnings before interest expense and income tax margins, customer attrition rates, and discount rates. Our estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. Measurement period adjustments are reflected at the time identified, up through the conclusion of the measurement period, which is the time at which all information for determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is received, and is not to exceed one year from the acquisition date. We may record adjustments to the fair value of these tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.

Additionally, uncertain tax positions and tax-related valuation allowances are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date. We continue to collect information and reevaluate these estimates and assumptions periodically and record any adjustments to preliminary estimates to goodwill, provided we are within the measurement period. If outside of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the consolidated statement of operations.

A portion of the purchase consideration for certain of our acquisitions is often contingent on the performance of the acquired business. The contingent liability arising from the expected earnout payment included in purchase consideration is typically measured on the acquisition date using a fair value model such as a Monte Carlo simulation in a risk-neutral framework, calibrated to Management’s forecasts which are subject to significant judgment.

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Impairment assessments

We monitor conditions related to equipment for lease, property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets and test these assets for potential impairment whenever management concludes events or changes in circumstances, such as historical operating and/or cash flow losses of an asset group, indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.

We perform a goodwill impairment test annually as of October 1 and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that impairment may have occurred. We have determined that our business comprises one reporting unit. We have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, in which case a quantitative impairment test is not required.

Useful lives of equipment for lease, property, plant and equipment, residual commission buyouts, capitalized customer acquisition costs, and intangible assets

Tangible equipment for lease and property, plant and equipment are depreciated over their estimated useful life on a straight-line basis. Capitalized customer acquisition costs and intangible assets with finite lives are also amortized over their estimated useful life on a straight-line basis. We monitor conditions related to these assets to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining depreciation or amortization period. The original estimate of an asset’s useful life and the impact of an event or circumstance on either an asset’s useful life or carrying value involve significant judgment regarding estimates of the future cash flows associated with each asset.

Income taxes

We recorded a valuation allowance against a majority of the deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, management assessed the realizability of deferred tax assets and concluded that it is more likely than not that its net deferred tax assets will be realized and that a full valuation allowance is no longer required. The assessment included the fact that we are no longer in a three-year cumulative loss position and is projecting sufficient income in future periods to realize its deferred tax assets. We continue to maintain a valuation allowance on the portion of deferred tax assets that require capital gains income because there are no current projections of capital gains income at this time. In the future, changes to our estimates regarding the realizability of our gross deferred tax assets could materially impact our results of operations.

We entered into a TRA with Shift4 Payments, LLC and each of the Continuing Equity Owners and each of the Blocker Shareholders that will provide for the payment by Shift4 Payments, Inc. to the Continuing Equity Owners of 85% of the amount of certain tax benefits, if any, that Shift4 Payments Inc. actually realizes or in some circumstances is deemed to realize in its tax reporting, as a result of (1) the increases in our share of the tax basis of assets of Shift4 Payments, LLC resulting from any redemptions of LLC Interests from the Continuing Equity Owners, (2) our utilization of certain tax attributes of the Blocker Companies and certain Continuing Equity Owners and (3) certain other tax benefits related to us making payments under the TRA.

In addition to tax expenses, we will also make payments under the TRA, which are expected to be material in the future. We will account for the income tax effects and corresponding TRA’s effects resulting from future taxable purchases or redemptions of LLC Interests of the Continuing LLC Owners by us or Shift4 Payments, LLC or the Blocker Shareholders by recognizing an increase in our deferred tax assets, based on enacted tax rates at the date of the purchase or redemption. Further, we will evaluate the likelihood that we will realize the benefit represented by the deferred tax asset and, to the extent that we estimate that it is more likely than not that we will not realize the benefit, we will reduce the carrying amount of the deferred tax asset with a valuation allowance. The amounts to be recorded for both the deferred tax assets and the liability for our obligations under the TRA will be estimated at the time of any purchase or redemption as a reduction to shareholders’ equity, and the effects of changes in any of our estimates after this date will be included in net income. Similarly, the effect of subsequent changes in the enacted tax rates will be included in net income. Judgement is required in assessing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in Shift4 Payments, Inc.’s financial statements. A change in our assessment of such consequences, such as realization of deferred tax assets, changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof could materially impact our results. As of December 31, 2024, we recognized a $365.5 million TRA liability after concluding it was probable that, based on estimates of future taxable income, we will realize tax benefits associated with the TRA.

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