Note 13 - Net Income Attributable to Controlling Interests Per Common Share (Details Textual) xbrli-pure in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2018 shares
Weighted Average Number of Shares, Restricted Stock	512,636	272,172
Five Point Eight Seven Five Percent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Five [Member]
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Conversion of Debt Securities, Total	0	0
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price \| $ / shares	$ 24.61
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Number of Equity Instruments	1.4
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Option [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	500,000	2,900,000

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The price per share of the conversion feature embedded in the debt instrument.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109500613&loc=SL6031898-161870

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of equity instruments that the holder of the debt instrument would receive if the debt was converted to equity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21475-112644

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21521-112644

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleNumberOfEquityInstruments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Additional shares included in the calculation of diluted EPS as a result of the potentially dilutive effect of convertible debt securities using the if-converted method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117326831&loc=d3e1930-109256

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToConversionOfDebtSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares of restricted stock determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that restricted shares have been outstanding to the total time in that period. Restricted shares are subject to sales, contractual, regulatory or other restrictions that prevent or inhibit the holder from freely disposing of them before the restriction ends.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117326831&loc=d3e2646-109256

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesRestrictedStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=atlc_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: