Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended						27 Months Ended
	May 31, 2014		Feb. 28, 2014		Nov. 30, 2013		Aug. 31, 2013		May 31, 2013		Feb. 28, 2013		Nov. 30, 2012		Aug. 31, 2012		May 31, 2014 segment		May 31, 2013		May 31, 2012		May 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments																	2
Revenues	$ 673,977,000		$ 616,452,000		$ 634,122,000		$ 629,685,000		$ 618,352,000		$ 578,746,000		$ 588,538,000		$ 590,287,000		$ 2,554,236,000		$ 2,375,923,000		$ 2,203,847,000
Operating income (loss) for segments	88,917,000	[1]	97,291,000	[1]	111,907,000	[1]	107,384,000	[1]	69,369,000	[1]	90,774,000	[1]	116,582,000	[1]	80,488,000	[1]	405,499,000		357,213,000		307,349,000
Depreciation and amortization																	122,069,000		111,788,000		99,099,000
Long-lived assets	2,242,211,000								1,793,134,000								2,242,211,000		1,793,134,000				2,242,211,000
Insurance proceeds																							27,000,000
Processing system intrusion																	(7,000,000)		36,775,000		84,438,000
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss) for segments																	(106,931,000)	[2]	(112,939,000)	[2]	(170,093,000)	[2]
Depreciation and amortization																	6,371,000		5,386,000		3,158,000
North America merchant services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,808,992,000		1,705,675,000		1,567,252,000
Operating income (loss) for segments																	272,251,000		258,910,000		281,305,000
Depreciation and amortization																	60,970,000		48,882,000		35,479,000
International merchant services [member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	745,244,000		670,248,000		636,595,000
Operating income (loss) for segments																	240,179,000		211,242,000		196,137,000
Depreciation and amortization																	54,728,000		57,520,000		60,462,000
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,291,909,000								826,972,000								1,291,909,000		826,972,000				1,291,909,000
United States [Member] | North America merchant services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,488,659,000		1,394,675,000		1,234,818,000
Canada [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	150,635,000								162,374,000								150,635,000		162,374,000				150,635,000
Canada [Member] | North America merchant services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	320,333,000		311,000,000		332,434,000
Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	722,140,000								719,991,000								722,140,000		719,991,000				722,140,000
Europe [Member] | International merchant services [member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	587,463,000		522,593,000		489,300,000
Asia-Pacific Region [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	77,527,000								82,538,000								77,527,000		82,538,000				77,527,000
Asia-Pacific Region [Member] | International merchant services [member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																	157,781,000		147,655,000		147,295,000
South America [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 0								$ 1,259,000								$ 0		$ 1,259,000				$ 0

[1] Includes a processing system intrusion credit of $7.0 million and a charge of $36.8 million for the years ended May 31, 2014 and May 31, 2013, respectively.

[2] Includes a processing system intrusion credit of $7.0 million in fiscal 2014 and charges of $36.8 million and $84.4 million in fiscal 2013 and 2012, respectively.