Lyft, Inc., is an app-based ridesharing service. Users request rides via their smartphones and drivers, using their own cars, respond to the requests via the system. Lyft collects the fares from riders and remits the payments due to drivers, keeping a fee for itself. Lyft treats drivers as independent contractors, not employees. Drivers may work as much or a little as they like and set their own hours. Lyft sets fares charged to riders. In 2019, Lyft made an initial public offering (IPO) and, as part of the process, filed a registration statement, called a Form S-1, with the SEC. In the financial statements included in Form S-1, Lyft reported revenues of $2.16 billion in 2018, up from $1.06 billion in 2017. Its net loss in 2018 was $911 million versus a net loss of $688 million in 2017.

In the notes to the financial statements, Lyft described its revenue recognition policies as follows:

Revenue Recognition

Ridesharing Marketplace

We recognize revenue from fees paid by drivers for use of our Lyft platform offerings using the five-step revenue recognition model described in Note 2 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements, in accordance with ASC 606. Drivers enter into terms of service, or ToS, with us in order to use our Lyft Driver app. We provide a service to drivers to complete successful transportation service for riders. This service includes on-demand lead generation that assists drivers to find, receive and fulfill on-demand requests from riders seeking transportation services and related collection activities using our Lyft platform. As a result, our single performance obligation in the transaction is to connect drivers with riders to facilitate the completion of successful transportation service for riders. We evaluate the presentation of revenue on a gross versus net basis based on whether we act as a principal by controlling the transportation service provided to the rider or whether we act as an agent by arranging for third parties to provide the service to the rider. We facilitate the provision of transportation service by a driver to a rider (the driver’s customer) in order for the driver to fulfill their contractual promise to the rider. The driver fulfills their promise to provide a transportation service to their customer through the use of the Lyft platform. While we facilitate setting the price for transportation services, the drivers and riders have the discretion in accepting the transaction price through the platform. We do not control the transportation services being provided to the rider nor do we have inventory risk related to the transportation services. As a result, we act as an agent in facilitating the ability of a driver to provide a transportation service to a rider. We report revenue on a net basis, reflecting the service fees and commissions owed to us from the drivers as revenue, and not the gross amount collected from the rider. We made this determination of not being primarily responsible for the services since we do not promise the transportation services, do not contract with drivers to provide transportation services on our behalf, do not control whether the driver accepts or declines the transportation request via the Lyft platform, and do not control the provision of transportation services by drivers to riders at any point in time either before, during, or after, the trip. C3-6 Identifying the customer  (LO 3-1, LO 3-5) Confirming Pages 3-50 CHAPTER 3 Revenue Recognition rev47848_ch03_001-050.indd 50 10/18/19 06:31 PM We consider the ToS and our customary business practices in identifying the contracts under ASC 606. As our customary business practice, a contract exists between the driver and us when the driver’s ability to cancel the trip lapses, which typically is upon pickup of the rider. We collect the fare and related charges from riders on behalf of drivers using the rider’s pre-authorized credit card and retain any fees owed to us before making the remaining disbursement to drivers; thus the driver’s ability and intent to pay is not subject to significant judgment. We earn service fees and commissions from the drivers either as the difference between an amount paid by a rider based on an upfront quoted fare and the amount earned by a driver based on actual time and distance for the trip or as a fixed percentage of the fare charged to the rider. In an up-front quoted fare arrangement, as we do not control the driver’s actions at any point in the transaction to limit the time and distance for the trip, we take on risks related to the driver’s actions which may not be fully mitigated. We earn a variable amount from the drivers and may record a loss from a transaction, which is recorded as a reduction to revenue, in instances where an up-front quoted fare offered to a rider is less than the amount we are committed to paying the driver. We recognize revenue upon completion of a ride as the single performance obligation is satisfied and we have the right to receive payment for the services rendered upon the completion of the ride. We offer various incentive programs to drivers that are recorded as reductions to revenue if we do not receive a distinct good or service in consideration or if we cannot reasonably estimate the fair value of goods or services received. Source: Lyft, Inc., Form S-1, dated March 1, 2019.

Required: 

1. Lyft has identified the drivers, not the riders, as its customers. 

a. What arguments support the company’s assessment? 

b. What arguments suggest Lyft’s customer is actually the rider? 

2. What is/are the performance obligation(s) Lyft fulfills when a typical ride is completed? 

3. If the rider were deemed to be the customer, what would be the performance obligation(s) fulfilled when a typical ride is completed? 

4. How would Lyft’s income statement be different if it treated the rider as its customer?