2.2.0.25falsefalse10101 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policiestruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Duration_1_1_2011_To_3_31_2011http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001141391duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00Unit12Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170Unit1Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0Unit15Dividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0Unit13Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0USDUSD$2true0us-gaap_GeneralPoliciesAbstractus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse3false0us-gaap_SignificantAccountingPoliciesTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00<div> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b>Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies </b></font></p> <div class="MetaData"> <p style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 2%;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Organization </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">MasterCard Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries, including MasterCard International Incorporated ("MasterCard International") (together, "MasterCard" or the "Company"), provide payment solutions, including transaction processing and related services to customers principally in support of their credit, deposit access (debit), prepaid, electronic cash and Automated Teller Machine ("ATM") payment card programs, and travelers cheque programs. Our financial institution customers are generally either principal members ("principal members") of MasterCard International, which participate directly in MasterCard International's business, or affiliate members ("affiliate members") of MasterCard International, which participate indirectly in MasterCard International's business through a principal member. </font></p></div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> <p style="margin-top: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 2%;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Consolidation and basis of presentation </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MasterCard and its majority-owned and controlled entities, including any variable interest entities for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2011 presentation. The Company follows accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">The balance sheet as of December&nbsp;31, 2010 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of December&nbsp;31, 2010. The consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March&nbsp;31, 2011 and 2010 and as of March&nbsp;31, 2011 are unaudited, and in the opinion of management, include all normal recurring adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the results for interim periods. Due to seasonal fluctuations and other factors, the results of operations for the three months ended March&nbsp;31, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirements of Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and, consequently, do not include all of the disclosures required by GAAP. Reference should be made to the MasterCard Incorporated Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December&nbsp;31, 2010 for additional disclosures, including a summary of the Company's significant accounting policies. </font></p></div> <div class="MetaData"> <div> <p style="margin-top: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 2%;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Recent accounting pronouncements </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><i>Revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables - </i>In September 2009, the accounting standard for the allocation of revenue in arrangements involving multiple deliverables was amended. Existing accounting standards required companies to allocate revenue based on the fair value of each deliverable, even though such deliverables may not be sold separately either by the company itself or other vendors. The new accounting standard eliminates (i)&nbsp;the residual method of revenue allocation and (ii)&nbsp;the requirement that all undelivered elements must have objective and reliable evidence of fair value before a company can recognize the portion of the overall arrangement fee that is attributable to items that already have been delivered. The Company adopted the revised accounting standard effective January&nbsp;1, 2011 via prospective adoption. The adoption did not have an impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><i>Fair value disclosures</i> - The Company measures certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis by estimating the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When valuing liabilities, the Company also considers the Company's creditworthiness. The Company classifies these recurring fair value measurements into a three-level hierarchy ("Valuation Hierarchy") and discloses the significant assumptions utilized in measuring assets and liabilities at fair value. In January 2010, fair value disclosure requirements were amended to require detailed disclosures about transfers to and from Level 1 and 2 of the Valuation Hierarchy effective January&nbsp;1, 2010 and disclosures regarding purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements on a "gross" basis within the Level 3 (of the Valuation Hierarchy) reconciliation effective January&nbsp;1, 2011. The Company adopted the new guidance for disclosures about transfers to and from Level 1 and 2 of the Valuation Hierarchy effective January&nbsp;1, 2010. The adoption did not have an impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. The Company adopted the guidance that requires disclosure of a reconciliation of purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements on a "gross" basis within Level 3 (of the Valuation Hierarchy) effective January&nbsp;1, 2011, as required, and the adoption did not have an impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><i>Impairment testing for goodwill</i> - In December 2010, a new accounting standard was issued. This standard requires Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test to be performed for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts if qualitative factors indicate that it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists.&nbsp;The provisions for this pronouncement are effective for fiscal years beginning after December&nbsp;15, 2010, with no early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this accounting standard on January&nbsp;1, 2011, and the adoption had no impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; text-indent: 32px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><i>Business combinations</i> - In December 2010, a new accounting standard was issued. This standard requires a company to disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period, only when comparative financial statements are presented. The disclosure provisions are effective prospectively for business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December&nbsp;15, 2010, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this accounting standard on January&nbsp;1, 2011 for prospective application. The adoption had no impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.</font></p></div></div></div> </div>Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Organization MasterCard Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries, including MasterCardfalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringThis element may be used to describe all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 22 -Paragraph 8 falsefalse12Summary of Significant Accounting PoliciesUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue