Discontinued Operations and Restructuring - Loss from Discontinued Operation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Consumer loan bad debt												$ 0	$ 0
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart	$ 19,636	$ (9,133)	$ (78,250)	$ (11,685)	$ (36,998)	$ (9,454)	$ 3,112	$ 1,295			$ (79,432)	(42,045)	(77,474)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to EZCORP, Inc.											(72,771)	(37,894)	(72,193)
Disposed of by Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues											2,100	124,700	188,800
Depreciation, amortization and other												(21,045)	(7,590)
Disposed of by Sale | Grupo Finmart
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues											45,256	68,369	54,522
Consumer loan bad debt											(30,081)	(26,446)	(19,605)
Operations expense											(38,740)	(32,664)	(32,184)
Impairment of goodwill											(73,244)	0	0
Interest expense, net											(16,464)	(24,487)	(19,479)
Depreciation, amortization and other											(12,732)	(7,008)	(2,382)
Gain on disposition											34,237	0	0
Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes of Grupo Finmart											(91,768)	(22,236)	(19,128)
Income tax benefit											12,896	7,508	7,741
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of operations discontinued prior to the adoption of ASU 2014-08											(560)	(27,317)	(66,087)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax											(79,432)	(42,045)	(77,474)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart											(78,872)	(14,728)	(11,387)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to noncontrolling interest											6,661	4,150	5,281
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to EZCORP, Inc.											(72,211)	(10,578)	(6,106)
Cash provided by operating activities, discontinued operations									$ 10,926	$ (21,523)	2,200	11,100	(7,400)
Cash provided by investing activities, discontinued operations									$ 4,590	$ (1,894)	$ 42,700	$ (41,100)	$ (33,500)