Basis of presentation (Details) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) ARS / $ VEF / $	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) VEF / $	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) segment ARS / $ VEF / $	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) VEF / $	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) VEF / $
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Number of operating segments | segment			9		3
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 207.1	$ 183.5	$ 169.6	$ 207.1	$ 169.6		$ 181.9
Accumulated other comprehensive losses related to Venezuela		859.8	907.0		859.8
Aggregate purchase price					65.0	0.0
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	[1]						$ 0.2
Cost of revenues		(628.9)		(596.1)	(1,239.2)	(1,185.0)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(122.8)		(105.0)	(229.9)	(213.7)
Operating Profit		48.3		32.2	119.2	55.7
Interest and other income (expense)		$ (11.4)		$ (9.4)	$ (22.6)	$ (19.1)
Venezuela
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Remeasurement rate | VEF / $		2,640		628	2,640	628		199
Rate decrease percent		76.00%			76.00%
Income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest					$ 0.9	$ 2.6
Argentina
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Official exchange rate | ARS / $		16.6			16.6
Venezuelan bolívar fuerte | Venezuela
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net remeasurement loss					$ 8.4	$ 4.6
Investment in Venezuela operations		$ 20.1	19.2		20.1
Nonmonetary assets		20.1	17.6		20.1
Net monetary assets		2.7	1.4		2.7
Cash and cash equivalents		5.2	6.8		5.2
Accumulated other comprehensive losses related to Venezuela		114.2	114.7		114.2
Argentine pesos | Argentina
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		28.7			28.7
Venezuela Investment | Venezuela
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net payables to other Brink's affiliates		$ 2.5	$ 6.1		2.5
Retained Earnings
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	[1]						0.2
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect | Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, Excess Tax Benefit Component
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Excess tax benefit					5.5
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect | Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, Excess Tax Benefit Component | Retained Earnings
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption							$ 0.2
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect | Accounting Standards Update 2017-07
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost of revenues					16.5
Selling, general and administrative expenses					3.3
Operating Profit					19.8
Interest and other income (expense)					$ 19.8

[1] We elected to early adopt the provisions of ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, in the fourth quarter of 2016 resulting in a cumulative effect adjustment to Retained Earnings for previously unrecognized excess tax benefits. See Note 1 for further discussion of the impacts of this standard.