Long-term Debt - Outstanding obligations (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Less current portion	$ 80,248,000		$ 74,345,000	$ 69,054,000
Total long-term and capital lease obligations	248,244,000		297,166,000	330,387,000
Debt premium (discount), current	0		0	22,000
Debt premium (discount), noncurrent	(36,086,000)		$ (45,239,000)	$ (48,642,000)
Debt default, minimum default to constitute default in non-recourse debt	$ 25,000,000
2.125% Cash convertible senior notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate					2.125%
Recourse to EZCORP | 2.125% Cash convertible senior notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	2.125%		2.125%	2.125%
Carrying Amount	$ 195,221,000		$ 187,471,000	$ 184,765,000
Debt premium (discount)	(34,779,000)		(42,529,000)	(45,235,000)
Recourse to EZCORP | Cash convertible senior notes due 2019 embedded derivative
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying Amount	16,200,000		10,505,000	23,160,000
Debt premium (discount)	0		0	0
Non-recourse to EZCORP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term obligations	328,492,000		371,511,000	399,441,000
Debt premium (discount)	(36,086,000)		(45,239,000)	(48,620,000)
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 8.2% Secured foreign currency debt up to $14 million due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 14,000,000		$ 14,000,000	$ 14,000,000
Stated interest rate	8.20%		8.20%	8.20%
Carrying Amount	$ 5,000		$ 938,000	$ 1,445,000
Debt premium (discount)	(47,000)		(204,000)	(321,000)
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 14.5% Secured foreign currency debt up to $17 million due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 17,000,000		$ 17,000,000	$ 17,000,000
Stated interest rate	14.50%		14.50%	14.50%
Carrying Amount	$ 14,821,000		$ 17,567,000	$ 19,157,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 5.8% Consumer loans facility due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	5.80%		5.80%	5.80%
Carrying Amount	$ 25,669,000		$ 40,493,000	$ 43,900,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ (1,085,000)		$ (2,196,000)	$ (2,652,000)
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 8.5% Unsecured notes due 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	8.50%	8.50%	8.50%	8.50%
Carrying Amount	$ 0		$ 12,330,000	$ 12,404,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ (42,000)	$ (114,000)
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 10% Unsecured notes due 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	10.00%		10.00%	10.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 0		$ 1,500,000	$ 0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 11% Unsecured notes due 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	11.00%		11.00%	11.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 0		$ 3,868,000	$ 4,218,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 17% Secured notes due 2015 consolidated from VIEs
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	17.00%		17.00%	17.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 0		$ 0	$ 21,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 10% Unsecured notes due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	10.00%		10.00%	10.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 1,500,000		$ 1,885,000	$ 821,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 12% Secured notes due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	12.00%		12.00%	12.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 0		$ 2,928,000	$ 3,216,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 22,000
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 13% Unsecured notes due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	13.00%		13.00%	13.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 0		$ 1,171,000	$ 639,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 15% Unsecured notes due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	15.00%		15.00%	15.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 3,560,000		$ 233,000	$ 0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 15% Secured notes due 2016 consolidated from VIEs
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	15.00%		15.00%	15.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 2,234,000		$ 5,397,000	$ 7,098,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 18% Unsecured notes due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	18.00%		18.00%	18.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 5,389,000		$ 0	$ 0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 10% Unsecured notes due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	10.00%		10.00%	10.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 162,000		$ 0	$ 0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 11% Secured notes due 2017 consolidated from VIEs (c)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	11.00%		11.00%	11.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 29,959,000		$ 56,113,000	$ 66,121,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 12% Secured notes due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	12.00%		12.00%	12.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 2,021,000		$ 0	$ 0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 13.5% Unsecured notes due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	13.50%		13.50%	13.50%
Carrying Amount	$ 4,940,000		$ 0	$ 0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 14.5% Secured notes due 2017 consolidated from VIEs
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	14.50%		14.50%	14.50%
Carrying Amount	$ 8,650,000		$ 11,754,000	$ 13,575,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		0	0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 15% Unsecured notes due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	15.00%
Carrying Amount	$ 2,114,000		0	0
Debt premium (discount)	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Non-recourse to EZCORP | 12.4% Secured notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	12.40%		12.40%	12.40%
Carrying Amount	$ 16,047,000		$ 17,358,000	$ 18,901,000
Debt premium (discount)	$ (175,000)		$ (268,000)	$ (320,000)