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Captures payments received for goods or services not yet delivered, exposing the company's forward obligation backlog and the cash collected ahead of performance.
Deferred revenue is money the company has collected in advance for products or services it has not yet delivered. It represents an obligation to provide value in the future.
Deferred revenue, also called unearned revenue or contract liabilities, represents cash received from customers before the company has delivered goods or services. This liability reflects the obligation to provide future products or services for which payment has already been collected. Deferred revenue is common in subscription businesses, software companies, and any industry with prepayment models.
How deferred revenue works:
Customer pays $12,000 for annual software subscription on January 1 January 1: Cash +$12,000; Deferred Revenue +$12,000 Each month: Deferred Revenue -$1,000; Revenue +$1,000 December 31: Full $12,000 recognised as revenue
Common sources of deferred revenue:
- Subscription services: Software as a Service (SaaS), streaming, publications
- Prepaid contracts: Annual maintenance, support agreements
- Gift cards: Unredeemed card balances
- Deposits: Customer prepayments for future delivery
- Season tickets: Sports and entertainment prepayments
- Extended warranties: Service contracts sold at purchase
Why deferred revenue matters:
- Cash flow positive: Cash collected before expenses incurred
- Revenue visibility: Represents future revenue already contracted
- Working capital benefit: Customers finance operations
- Business model indicator: High deferred revenue suggests recurring model
Analysing deferred revenue:
- Growth trend: Rising deferred revenue indicates strong bookings
- Deferred revenue as % of revenue: Shows prepayment prevalence
- Revenue recognition timing: When will deferred revenue become revenue?
- Customer retention: Renewals maintain deferred revenue levels
Positive signals:
- Growing deferred revenue: More customers prepaying for future services
- Multi-year contracts: Long-term commitments provide visibility
- Strong renewal rates: Customers continuing subscriptions
Caution areas:
- Declining deferred revenue: May indicate weakening demand
- Aggressive recognition: Accelerating revenue recognition improperly
- Contract terms: Are prepayments refundable if cancelled?
Deferred revenue is a valuable metric for subscription and recurring revenue businesses—it provides insight into contracted future revenue and the health of customer relationships.
How it relates
Accounts PayableAccounts payable is the amount the company owes suppliers for goods and services already received. It represents short-term bills that still need to be paid.+Short-term DebtShort-term debt includes loans and borrowings that must be repaid within a year. High short-term debt increases near-term refinancing and repayment risk.+Deferred Revenue+Other Current LiabilitiesOther current liabilities are smaller or mixed short-term obligations that do not fit into specific categories, such as certain taxes or accrued expenses. They still need to be paid within a year.=Total Current LiabilitiesTotal current liabilities are obligations that must be paid within a year, such as supplier bills, short-term debt and taxes due. They are important for understanding short-term pressure on cash.