Supplemental Consolidated Financial Information and Discontinued Operations - Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	$ 43	$ (265)	$ (375)	$ (1,228)	$ 19,636	$ (9,133)	$ (78,250)	$ (11,685)	$ (1,825)	$ (79,432)	$ (42,045)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to EZCORP, Inc.									(1,825)	(72,771)	(37,894)
Goodwill impairment									$ 0	73,244	30,782
Excluding of Grupo Finmart
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues										2,100	124,700
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Operations expense											(42,443)
Goodwill impairment											10,550
Long-lived assets impairment											1,685
Other											21,045
Asset disposals											7,443
Lease termination costs											1,720
Operations expense											42,443
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale | Grupo Finmart
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues											68,369
Consumer loan bad debt											(26,446)
Operations expense											(32,664)
Interest expense, net											(24,487)
Depreciation, amortization and other expenses											(7,008)
Gain on disposition											0
Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes of Grupo Finmart											(22,236)
Income tax benefit											7,508
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of operations discontinued prior to the adoption of ASU 2014-08											(27,317)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax											(14,728)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to noncontrolling interest											4,150
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to EZCORP, Inc.											(10,578)
Cash flows from operating activities, discontinued operations											11,100
Cash flows from investing activities, discontinued operations											(41,100)
Operations expense											32,664
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale | Closing of USFS Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements											10,500
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale | Cash Genie
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements											$ 4,000
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale | Grupo Finmart
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues										45,256
Consumer loan bad debt										(30,081)
Operations expense										(111,984)
Interest expense, net										(16,464)
Depreciation, amortization and other expenses										(12,732)
Gain on disposition										34,237
Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes of Grupo Finmart										(91,768)
Income tax benefit										12,896
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of operations discontinued prior to the adoption of ASU 2014-08										(560)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax										(78,872)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to noncontrolling interest										6,661
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of Grupo Finmart attributable to EZCORP, Inc.										(72,211)
Cash flows from operating activities, discontinued operations										2,200
Cash flows from investing activities, discontinued operations										42,700
Operations expense										$ 111,984