The new standard distinguishes between a warranty
providing assurance that a product meets agreed-upon
specifications (accounted for as a cost provision) and a warranty providing an additional service (for which
revenue will be deferred). Consideration of factors such as whether the warranty is required by law, the
length of the warranty coverage period, and the nature of the tasks the entity promises to perform will be
necessary to determine which type of warranty exists. If a customer can chose whether or not to purchase a
warranty as an “optional extra”, that warranty will always be treated as a separate service. Where a
warranty is determined to include both elements (assurance and service), the transaction price is allocated
to the product and the service in a reasonable manner (if this is not possible, the whole warranty is treated as a service).