Segment Information Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) store	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) store	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 667,862	$ 649,371	$ 655,925	$ 696,694	$ 661,750	$ 644,942	$ 655,730	$ 698,043	$ 2,669,852	$ 2,660,465	$ 2,702,540
Gross profit	411,138	399,996	408,071	424,866	419,564	407,740	423,886	436,978	1,644,071	1,688,168	1,718,542
Operating profit (loss)	67,834	$ 38,847	$ 129,829	$ 17,349	13,624	$ 25,632	$ 27,151	$ (10,270)	253,859	56,137	(63,059)
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									61,104	68,946	74,639
Capital expenditures									21,157	27,962	65,460
On rent	697,270				683,808				697,270	683,808	701,803
Held for rent	138,418				123,662				138,418	123,662	167,188
Assets	$ 1,582,798				1,396,917				1,582,798	1,396,917	1,420,781
Rentals and fees									$ 2,224,402	2,244,860	2,267,741
Number of retail installment sales stores | store	44								44
Royalty Fee Percentage Minimum									2.00%
Royalty Fee Percentage Maximum									6.00%
Furniture and accessories [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Rentals and fees									$ 982,644	962,241	921,159
Consumer electronics [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Rentals and fees									358,619	410,184	459,942
Appliances [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Rentals and fees									346,668	344,548	351,893
Computers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Rentals and fees									103,171	120,756	124,158
Smartphones [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Rentals and fees									62,948	62,592	57,927
Other products and services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Rentals and fees									370,352	344,539	352,662
Rent-A-Center Business [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									1,800,486	1,855,712	1,835,422
Gross profit									1,255,153	1,299,809	1,276,212
Operating profit (loss)									235,964	147,787	86,196
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									20,822	25,566	31,070
Capital expenditures									10,255	17,173	26,506
On rent	$ 411,482				424,829				411,482	424,829	408,993
Held for rent	131,086				117,294				131,086	117,294	156,039
Assets	953,151				714,914				953,151	714,914	776,296
Rentals and fees									1,585,997	1,640,839
Preferred Lease [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									749,260	722,562	797,987
Gross profit									333,798	339,616	400,002
Operating profit (loss)									83,066	93,951	48,618
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									1,533	1,677	2,498
Capital expenditures									141	203	2,723
On rent	268,845				242,978				268,845	242,978	278,443
Held for rent	1,254				1,207				1,254	1,207	4,940
Assets	357,859				312,151				357,859	312,151	350,970
Rentals and fees									587,502	557,592
Mexico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									53,960	49,613	47,005
Gross profit									37,488	34,364	32,592
Operating profit (loss)									5,357	2,605	(260)
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									401	1,006	1,973
Capital expenditures									172	295	124
On rent	16,943				16,001				16,943	16,001	14,367
Held for rent	6,078				5,161				6,078	5,161	6,209
Assets	33,707				29,321				33,707	29,321	33,529
Rentals and fees									50,903	46,429
Franchising [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									66,146	32,578	22,126
Gross profit									17,632	14,379	9,736
Operating profit (loss)									7,205	4,385	5,081
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									45	172	177
Assets	11,095				4,287				11,095	4,287	3,802
Rentals and fees									0	0
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating profit (loss)									331,592	248,728	139,635
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									22,801	28,421	35,718
Capital expenditures									10,568	17,671	29,353
Assets	1,355,812				1,060,673				1,355,812	1,060,673	1,164,597
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating profit (loss)									(77,733)	(192,591)	(202,694)
Depreciation, amortization and write-down of intangibles									38,303	40,525	38,921
Capital expenditures									10,589	10,291	36,107
Assets	226,986				336,244				226,986	336,244	256,184
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									2,615,892	2,610,432	2,654,819
Assets	1,547,895				1,366,405				1,547,895	1,366,405	1,383,004
Mexico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									53,960	49,612	47,005
Assets	33,707				29,321				33,707	29,321	33,529
Canada [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									0	421	716
Assets	$ 1,196				$ 1,191				$ 1,196	$ 1,191	$ 4,248