Non-refundable upfront fees (and some related costs)
B48 In some contracts, an entity charges a customer a non-refundable upfront fee at
or near contract inception. Examples include joining fees in health club
membership contracts, activation fees in telecommunication contracts, setup
fees in some services contracts and initial fees in some supply contracts.
B49 To identify performance obligations in such contracts, an entity shall assess
whether the fee relates to the transfer of a promised good or service. In many
cases, even though a non-refundable upfront fee relates to an activity that the
entity is required to undertake at or near contract inception to fulfil the
contract, that activity does not result in the transfer of a promised good or
service to the customer (see paragraph 25). Instead, the upfront fee is an
advance payment for future goods or services and, therefore, would be
recognised as revenue when those future goods or services are provided. The
revenue recognition period would extend beyond the initial contractual period
if the entity grants the customer the option to renew the contract and that
option provides the customer with a material right as described in
paragraph B40.
B50 If the non-refundable upfront fee relates to a good or service, the entity shall
evaluate whether to account for the good or service as a separate performance
obligation in accordance with paragraphs 22–30.
B51 An entity may charge a non-refundable fee in part as compensation for costs
incurred in setting up a contract (or other administrative tasks as described in
paragraph 25). If those setup activities do not satisfy a performance obligation,
the entity shall disregard those activities (and related costs) when measuring
progress in accordance with paragraph B19. That is because the costs of setup
activities do not depict the transfer of services to the customer. The entity shall
assess whether costs incurred in setting up a contract have resulted in an asset
that shall be recognised in accordance with paragraph 95.