Financing Receivable, Secured by Tax Lien, Redemption Period

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_FinancingReceivableSecuredbyTaxLienRedemptionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Property Tax Lien, Collection from Foreclosure, Percentage of Properties

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ecpg_PropertyTaxLienCollectionfromForeclosurePercentageofProperties
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Property Tax Payment Agreements Receivable, Net

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ecpg_PropertyTaxPaymentAgreementsReceivableNet
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Property Tax Payment Agreements Receivable, Principal Balance

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ecpg_PropertyTaxPaymentAgreementsReceivablePrincipalBalance
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryAggregatedDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=stpr_TX
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Receivables Secured by Property Tax Liens, Net (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	May 06, 2014
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Property tax liens, collections from foreclosure, percentage of properties (less than)	0.50%
Receivables secured by tax liens, typical redemption period	84 months
Receivables secured by property tax liens, net	$ 264,691,000	$ 259,432,000
Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Receivables secured by property tax liens, net	102,042,000	108,535,000
Texas [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Receivables secured by property tax liens, net			141,500,000
Receivable secured by property tax liens, principal amount			$ 134,000,000
Debt instrument, stated interest rate (percent)			1.44%