Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 50,774	$ 23,969	$ 27,492	$ 25,854
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	1,051	0	0
Pawn loans, net	147,503	145,318	134,633
Consumer loans, net	28,487	14,611	14,437
Pawn service charges receivable, net	26,092	26,455	24,372
Consumer loan fees receivable, net	25,729	6,775	6,884
Inventory, net	94,421	90,373	79,031
Deferred tax asset	18,226	18,125	16,150
Receivable from affiliates	0	0	0
Federal income tax receivable	9,898	0	3,099
Prepaid expenses and other assets	40,268	30,611	21,932
Total current assets	442,449	356,237	328,030
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	125,309	120,319	114,777
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Property and equipment, net	100,196	78,498	75,049
Deferred tax asset, non-current		0
Goodwill	321,423	173,206	167,017	117,305
Intangible assets, net	78,666	19,790	20,192
Non-current consumer loans, net	50,587	0	0
Other assets, net	19,443	8,400	8,556
Total assets	1,138,073	756,450	713,621
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,126	0	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Current	395	0	0
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	70,696	57,400	53,242
Customer layaway deposits	6,740	6,176	6,131
Intercompany payables	0	0	0
Federal income taxes payable	0	693	0
Total current liabilities	108,957	64,269	59,373
Long-term debt, less current maturities	175,740	17,500	26,500
Capital Lease Obligations, Noncurrent	764	0	0
Deferred tax liability	7,788	8,331	1,237
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	14,187	2,102	2,209
Total liabilities	307,436	92,202	89,319
Temporary Equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	44,864	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Additional paid-in capital	266,653	242,398	233,056
Retained earnings	527,231	422,095	385,730
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(8,623)	(746)	5,017
EZCORP, Inc. stockholders' equity	785,773	664,248	624,302
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,138,073	756,450	713,621
Parent [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	703	0	0	0
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	0
Pawn loans, net	0	0	0
Consumer loans, net	0	0	0
Pawn service charges receivable, net	0	0	0
Consumer loan fees receivable, net	0	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0	0
Deferred tax asset	12,747	12,728	10,560
Receivable from affiliates	202,619	66,450	46,658
Federal income tax receivable	9,732	0	3,099
Prepaid expenses and other assets	42	29	42
Total current assets	225,843	79,207	60,359
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	51,156	71,958	68,321
Investment in subsidiaries	135,412	84,303	76,999
Property and equipment, net	0	0	0
Deferred tax asset, non-current		0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Intangible assets, net	1,698	2,147	2,296
Non-current consumer loans, net	0
Other assets, net	0	0	0
Total assets	414,109	237,615	207,975
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Current	0
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	95	13	16
Customer layaway deposits	0	0	0
Intercompany payables	(170,788)	(199,190)	(216,982)
Federal income taxes payable	9,875	9,552	8,879
Total current liabilities	(160,818)	(189,625)	(208,087)
Long-term debt, less current maturities	114,700	17,500	26,500
Capital Lease Obligations, Noncurrent	0
Deferred tax liability	6,522	5,940	(345)
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	0	0	(446)
Total liabilities	(39,596)	(166,185)	(182,378)
Temporary Equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Additional paid-in capital	294,135	221,526	214,231
Retained earnings	154,454	174,860	170,202
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,616	6,923	5,432
EZCORP, Inc. stockholders' equity	453,705	403,800	390,353
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	414,109	237,615	207,975
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	28,674	20,860	23,377	23,862
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	0
Pawn loans, net	134,064	134,457	124,810
Consumer loans, net	14,928	12,526	12,423
Pawn service charges receivable, net	24,041	24,792	22,848
Consumer loan fees receivable, net	6,026	6,642	6,754
Inventory, net	81,355	81,277	70,326
Deferred tax asset	5,479	5,397	5,385
Receivable from affiliates	83,050	(66,450)	(46,658)
Federal income tax receivable	506	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	35,840	25,976	17,757
Total current assets	413,963	245,477	237,022
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	74,153	48,361	46,456
Investment in subsidiaries	72,946	44,323	9,145
Property and equipment, net	69,911	59,434	56,522
Deferred tax asset, non-current		0
Goodwill	221,519	163,897	159,572
Intangible assets, net	15,998	15,183	15,247
Non-current consumer loans, net	0
Other assets, net	8,633	7,036	7,207
Total assets	877,123	583,711	531,171
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Current	395
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	46,495	50,871	47,531
Customer layaway deposits	5,884	5,711	5,703
Intercompany payables	371,474	178,375	169,742
Federal income taxes payable	(6,168)	(5,150)	(5,157)
Total current liabilities	418,080	229,807	217,819
Long-term debt, less current maturities	0	0	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Noncurrent	764
Deferred tax liability	1,266	1,563	1,571
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	1,880	2,102	2,208
Total liabilities	421,990	233,472	221,598
Temporary Equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Additional paid-in capital	78,688	98,980	89,629
Retained earnings	377,229	251,418	220,039
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(796)	(170)	(105)
EZCORP, Inc. stockholders' equity	455,133	350,239	309,573
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	877,123	583,711	531,171
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	21,397	3,109	4,115	1,992
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	1,051
Pawn loans, net	13,439	10,861	9,823
Consumer loans, net	13,559	2,085	2,014
Pawn service charges receivable, net	2,051	1,663	1,524
Consumer loan fees receivable, net	19,703	133	130
Inventory, net	13,066	9,096	8,705
Deferred tax asset	0	0	205
Receivable from affiliates	0	0	0
Federal income tax receivable	(340)	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	4,386	4,606	4,133
Total current assets	88,312	31,553	30,649
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Property and equipment, net	30,285	19,064	18,527
Deferred tax asset, non-current		0
Goodwill	99,904	9,309	7,445
Intangible assets, net	60,970	2,460	2,649
Non-current consumer loans, net	50,587
Other assets, net	10,810	1,362	1,349
Total assets	340,868	63,748	60,619
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,126
Capital Lease Obligations, Current	0
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	24,106	6,516	5,695
Customer layaway deposits	856	465	428
Intercompany payables	84,983	20,761	47,240
Federal income taxes payable	(3,707)	(3,709)	(3,722)
Total current liabilities	137,364	24,033	49,641
Long-term debt, less current maturities	61,040	0	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Noncurrent	0
Deferred tax liability	0	828	11
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	12,307	0	447
Total liabilities	210,711	24,861	50,099
Temporary Equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	44,864	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Additional paid-in capital	102,188	50,568	15,340
Retained earnings	(4,452)	(4,183)	(4,511)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(12,443)	(7,499)	(310)
EZCORP, Inc. stockholders' equity	85,293	38,887	10,520
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	340,868	63,748	60,619
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	0
Pawn loans, net	0	0	0
Consumer loans, net	0	0	0
Pawn service charges receivable, net	0	0	0
Consumer loan fees receivable, net	0	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0	0
Deferred tax asset	0	0	0
Receivable from affiliates	(285,669)	0	0
Federal income tax receivable	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0	0	0
Total current assets	(285,669)	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(208,358)	(128,626)	(86,144)
Property and equipment, net	0	0	0
Deferred tax asset, non-current		0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0	0
Non-current consumer loans, net	0
Other assets, net	0	2	0
Total assets	(494,027)	(128,624)	(86,144)
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Current	0
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	0	0	0
Customer layaway deposits	0	0	0
Intercompany payables	(285,669)	54	0
Federal income taxes payable	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	(285,669)	54	0
Long-term debt, less current maturities	0	0	0
Capital Lease Obligations, Noncurrent	0
Deferred tax liability	0	0	0
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	0	0	0
Total liabilities	(285,669)	54	0
Temporary Equity:
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Additional paid-in capital	(208,358)	(128,676)	(86,144)
Retained earnings	0	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0
EZCORP, Inc. stockholders' equity	(208,358)	(128,678)	(86,144)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(494,027)	(128,624)	(86,144)
Common Stock Class A Non-voting [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	482	471	469
Common Stock Class A Non-voting [Member] | Parent [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	470	461	458
Common Stock Class A Non-voting [Member] | Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	12	12	11
Common Stock Class A Non-voting [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	0	0	0
Common Stock Class A Non-voting [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	0	(2)	0
Common Stock Class B Voting [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	30	30	30
Common Stock Class B Voting [Member] | Parent [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	30	30	30
Common Stock Class B Voting [Member] | Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	0	(1)	(1)
Common Stock Class B Voting [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	0	1	1
Common Stock Class B Voting [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common Stock	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0