Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 150,577	$ 122,159	$ 97,294
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	25,268	18,344	14,661
Consumer loan loss provisions	17,833	15,087	11,588
Deferred income taxes	2,761	13,663	(1,287)
(Gain) / loss on sale or disposal of assets	(1)	309	1,528
Stock compensation	6,714	13,208	4,512
Income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates	(17,400)	(16,237)	(10,750)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions:
Service charges and fees receivable, net	(5,359)	(2,998)	(4,312)
Inventory, net	(4,017)	(6,815)	(2,144)
Prepaid expenses, other current assets, and other assets, net	(12,322)	(12,445)	(6,277)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	4,347	5,411	15,592
Customer layaway deposits	218	(95)	1,824
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	(8,782)	(412)	(736)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	(1,602)	(3,230)	(1,861)
Income taxes receivable/payable	(7,787)	44	5,093
Net cash provided by operating activities	150,448	145,993	124,725
Investing Activities:
Loans made	(802,896)	(649,249)	(545,579)
Loans repaid	520,193	404,392	335,832
Recovery of pawn loan principal through sale of forfeited collateral	240,381	205,662	174,224
Additions to property and equipment	(45,796)	(34,122)	(25,741)
Proceeds on disposal of assets	0	0	1,347
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(128,647)	(67,920)	(21,837)
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	(59,188)
Dividends from unconsolidated affiliates	5,560	7,274	3,841
Net cash used in investing activities	(211,205)	(133,963)	(137,101)
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	649	397	1,602
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	1,602	3,230	1,861
Debt issuance cost	(3,225)	(2,397)	3
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	(1,184)	(7,484)	0
Change in restricted cash	(5,482)	0	0
Proceeds on revolving line of credit	792,927	164,500	63,050
Payments on revolving line of credit	(695,077)	(147,000)	(63,050)
Proceeds from bank borrowings	2,461	0	0
Payments on bank borrowings and capital lease obligations	(8,496)	(25,004)	(10,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	84,175	(13,758)	(6,534)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,090	(157)	0
Change in cash and equivalents	24,508	(1,885)	(18,910)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	23,969	25,854	44,764
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	48,477	23,969	25,854
Parent [Member]
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	(36,454)	18,531	12,868
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Consumer loan loss provisions	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	4,138	12,458	(3,022)
(Gain) / loss on sale or disposal of assets	0	0	0
Stock compensation	0	0	0
Income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates	(9,949)	(8,945)	(3,928)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions:
Service charges and fees receivable, net	0	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses, other current assets, and other assets, net	0	(66,473)	397
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(50,173)	51,892	50,659
Customer layaway deposits	0	0	0
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	(1,602)	0	0
Income taxes receivable/payable	(21,045)	1,706	5,841
Net cash provided by operating activities	(115,085)	9,169	62,815
Investing Activities:
Loans made	0	0	0
Loans repaid	0	0	0
Recovery of pawn loan principal through sale of forfeited collateral	0	0	0
Additions to property and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds on disposal of assets			0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates			(57,772)
Dividends from unconsolidated affiliates	2,221	4,118	1,494
Net cash used in investing activities	2,221	4,118	(56,278)
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	649	397	1,602
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	1,602	3,230	1,861
Debt issuance cost	0	(1,930)	0
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	(1,184)	(7,484)	0
Change in restricted cash	0
Proceeds on revolving line of credit	753,200	0	63,050
Payments on revolving line of credit	(640,700)	0	(63,050)
Proceeds from bank borrowings	0	2,500	0
Payments on bank borrowings and capital lease obligations	0	(10,000)	(10,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	113,567	(13,287)	(6,537)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Change in cash and equivalents	703	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	703	0	0
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	172,151	105,464	88,111
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	18,312	14,726	12,614
Consumer loan loss provisions	11,210	12,521	10,494
Deferred income taxes	(141)	191	1,660
(Gain) / loss on sale or disposal of assets	(282)	138	1,470
Stock compensation	6,714	13,208	4,512
Income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates	(7,451)	(7,292)	(6,822)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions:
Service charges and fees receivable, net	(771)	(2,300)	(3,742)
Inventory, net	(2,731)	(3,506)	(1,773)
Prepaid expenses, other current assets, and other assets, net	(14,254)	57,985	(3,983)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(57,342)	(74,267)	(57,494)
Customer layaway deposits	(259)	(402)	1,780
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	(10,681)	(423)	(422)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	0	(3,230)	(1,861)
Income taxes receivable/payable	3,176	42	270
Net cash provided by operating activities	117,651	112,855	44,814
Investing Activities:
Loans made	(638,121)	(554,138)	(504,305)
Loans repaid	408,404	339,574	313,255
Recovery of pawn loan principal through sale of forfeited collateral	213,115	183,441	162,407
Additions to property and equipment	(31,064)	(24,651)	(16,503)
Proceeds on disposal of assets			1,347
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(66,317)	(62,768)	(21,837)
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates			(1,416)
Dividends from unconsolidated affiliates	3,339	3,156	2,347
Net cash used in investing activities	(110,644)	(115,386)	(64,705)
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	0	0	0
Debt issuance cost	0	(467)	3
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0
Proceeds on revolving line of credit	0	164,500	0
Payments on revolving line of credit	0	(147,000)	0
Proceeds from bank borrowings	0	(2,500)	0
Payments on bank borrowings and capital lease obligations	(181)	(15,004)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(181)	(471)	3
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Change in cash and equivalents	6,826	(3,002)	(19,888)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	20,860	23,862	43,750
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	27,686	20,860	23,862
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	14,880	(1,836)	(3,685)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	6,956	3,618	2,047
Consumer loan loss provisions	6,623	2,566	1,094
Deferred income taxes	(1,236)	1,014	75
(Gain) / loss on sale or disposal of assets	281	171	58
Stock compensation	0	0	0
Income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions:
Service charges and fees receivable, net	(4,588)	(698)	(570)
Inventory, net	(1,286)	(3,309)	(371)
Prepaid expenses, other current assets, and other assets, net	1,932	(3,957)	(2,691)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	111,862	27,786	22,427
Customer layaway deposits	477	307	44
Deferred gains and other long-term liabilities	1,899	11	(314)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	0	0	0
Income taxes receivable/payable	10,082	(1,704)	(1,018)
Net cash provided by operating activities	147,882	23,969	17,096
Investing Activities:
Loans made	(164,775)	(95,111)	(41,274)
Loans repaid	111,789	64,818	22,577
Recovery of pawn loan principal through sale of forfeited collateral	27,266	22,221	11,817
Additions to property and equipment	(14,732)	(9,471)	(9,238)
Proceeds on disposal of assets			0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(62,330)	(5,152)	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates			0
Dividends from unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(102,782)	(22,695)	(16,118)
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	0	0	0
Debt issuance cost	(3,225)	0	0
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	(5,482)
Proceeds on revolving line of credit	39,727	0	0
Payments on revolving line of credit	(54,377)	0	0
Proceeds from bank borrowings	2,461	0	0
Payments on bank borrowings and capital lease obligations	(8,315)	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(29,211)	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,090	(157)	0
Change in cash and equivalents	16,979	1,117	978
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,109	1,992	1,014
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 20,088	$ 3,109	$ 1,992