Additional Borrowing Capacity

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_AdditionalBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Basis Spread On Variable Rate Upon Meeting Specified Conditions

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Terms, Loan-to-Value Credit Facility Utilization Trigger

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Maximum Loan To Value Ratio

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The average effective interest rate during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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_DebtInstrumentInterestRateDuringPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=ecpg_CabotCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=ecpg_CabotCreditAgreementTranchewithExpirationinSeptember2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=ecpg_CabotCreditAgreementTranchewithExpirationinMarch2022Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

Debt, Net - Cabot Senior Revolving Credit Facility - Narrative (Details) - Cabot credit facility $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Nov. 05, 2018 GBP (£)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 12, 2017 GBP (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility								£ 295,000,000
Maximum loan to value ratio				75.00%
Credit facility, outstanding amount \| $		$ 283,678		$ 283,678			$ 179,008
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)		3.86%	3.50%	3.78%	3.51%
Remaining borrowing capacity		$ 100,500		$ 100,500		£ 77,200,000
Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan-to-value credit facility utilization trigger (more than)				20.00%
Secured Debt \| LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				3.25%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread On Variable Rate Upon Meeting Specified Conditions				2.75%
Secured Debt \| Tranche with Expiration in September 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility						245,000,000.0
Secured Debt \| Tranche with Expiration in March 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility						£ 50,000,000.0
Senior Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum loan to value ratio				27.50%
Loan-to-value credit facility utilization trigger (more than)				20.00%
Subsequent Event \| Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	£ 385,000,000.0
Additional borrowing capacity	£ 90,000,000
Subsequent Event \| Secured Debt \| LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	3.00%
Subsequent Event \| Secured Debt \| Tranche with Expiration in September 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	£ 10,000,000.0