Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Asset retirement obligation
Balance at beginning of period	$ 54,727
Additional obligations	6,020
Accretion expense	1,359
Change in estimates	(69)
Payments	(2,771)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(3,092)
Balance at end of period, net	56,174
Less: current portion	8,978	$ 3,698
Balance at end of period, excluding current portion	$ 47,196	$ 51,685
Refurbished ATM assets
Property and equipment useful life	5 years

Asset Retirement Obligation Additional Obligations Excluding Obligations Assumed from Acquisitions

No definition available.

Name:	catm_AssetRetirementObligationAdditionalObligationsExcludingObligationsAssumedFromAcquisitions
Namespace Prefix:	catm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Asset Retirement Obligation
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505190

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash paid during the period to settle an asset retirement obligation. Amounts paid to settle an asset retirement obligation are generally included in the operating section of the Statement of Cash Flows.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 17
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3367-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationCashPaidToSettle
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Current portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of foreign currency translation gain (loss) which decreases (increases) asset retirement obligations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationForeignCurrencyTranslationGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the asset retirement obligation from changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 35
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392603&loc=d3e7123-110846

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRollForwardAnalysisRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Noncurrent portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherCapitalizedPropertyPlantAndEquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: