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Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations (Policies)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Principles of Consolidation
These financial statements include the accounts of Rent-A-Center, Inc., and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Rental Merchandise
Rental merchandise is carried at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation for merchandise is generally provided using the income forecasting method, which is intended to match as closely as practicable the recognition of depreciation expense with the consumption of the rental merchandise, and assumes no salvage value. The consumption of rental merchandise occurs during periods of rental and directly coincides with the receipt of rental revenue over the rental purchase agreement period. Under the income forecasting method, merchandise held for rent is not depreciated and merchandise on rent is depreciated in the proportion of rents received to total rents provided in the rental contract, which is an activity-based method similar to the units of production method. We depreciate merchandise that is held for rent for at least 180 consecutive days using the straight-line method over a period generally not to exceed 18 months.
Rental merchandise which is damaged and inoperable is expensed when such impairment occurs. If a customer does not return the merchandise or make payment, the remaining book value of the rental merchandise associated with delinquent accounts is generally charged off on or before the 90th day following the time the account became past due in the Core U.S. and International segments, and on or before the 150th day in the Acceptance Now segment. We maintain a reserve for these expected expenses. In addition, any minor repairs made to rental merchandise are expensed at the time of the repair.
Correction of Immaterial Errors
During the fourth quarter of 2013, we identified errors in accounting for our estimates for rental merchandise reserves and for the allowance for doubtful accounts, resulting in an immaterial overstatement of on rent merchandise and understatements of held for rent merchandise and receivables which affected periods beginning prior to 2011 through December 31, 2013. In accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 99, Materiality, and SAB No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, management evaluated the materiality of the errors from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, and concluded the errors were immaterial to the prior periods. The errors resulted in an understatement of salaries and other expenses of $0.5 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013. The understatement of salaries and other expenses discussed above, adjusted for the related income tax impact, resulted in an overstatement of net earnings of $0.3 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013. Due to the immaterial nature of the error correction, we revised our historical financial statements based on the amounts discussed above for 2013 herein.
Use of Estimates
In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent losses and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. In applying accounting principles, we must often make individual estimates and assumptions regarding expected outcomes or uncertainties. Our estimates, judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experience. Because of the use of estimates inherent in the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from those estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncements
From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") or other standards setting bodies that we adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of any other recently issued standards that are not yet effective are either not applicable to us at this time or will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.