Name:	ecpg_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAdditionsForCurrentPurchasesAccretableYield
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	duration

Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Not Accounted For As Debt Securities Net Additions To Existing Portfolios Accretable Yield

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesNetAdditionsToExistingPortfoliosAccretableYield
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Certain Loans Acquired in Transfer Not Accounted for as Debt Securities, Foreign Currency Adjustment, Accretable Yield

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_CertainLoansAcquiredinTransferNotAccountedforasDebtSecuritiesForeignCurrencyAdjustmentAccretableYield
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Investment in Receivables Portfolio [Roll Forward]

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_InvestmentinReceivablesPortfolioRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Reversal provision for allowances on receivable portfolios net.

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_ReversalProvisionForAllowancesOnReceivablePortfoliosNet
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of the excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment in acquired loans not accounted for as debt securities with evidence of deterioration of credit quality.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 15
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121585399&loc=d3e13503-111538

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121614798&loc=d3e15032-111544

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYield
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of accretion recognized for the excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment in acquired loans not accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality.