Investment in Receivable Portfolios, Net - Establishment of Negative Allowance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Receivables [Abstract]
Purchase price	$ 170,178	$ 214,113
Allowance for credit losses	374,575	521,194
Amortized cost	544,753	735,307
Noncredit discount	784,112	967,715
Face value	1,328,865	1,703,022
Write-off of amortized cost	(544,753)	(735,307)
Write-off of noncredit discount	(784,112)	(967,715)
Negative allowance	170,178	214,113
Negative allowance for expected recoveries - current period purchases	$ 170,178	$ 214,113

Certain Loans Acquired In Transfer Not Accounted For As Debt Securities, Amortized Cost

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Certain loans acquired in transfer not accounted for as debt securities, purchases of receivable portfolios.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Financing Receivable, Purchased with Credit Deterioration, Allowance for Credit Loss at Acquisition Date, Reversals

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Financing Receivable, Purchased with Credit Deterioration, Allowance for Credit Loss at Acquisition Date, Write-Offs

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Financing Receivable, Purchased With Credit Deterioration, Discount (Premium), Write-off

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss at acquisition date of financing receivable purchased with credit deterioration.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 19
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919265-210447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePurchasedWithCreditDeteriorationAllowanceForCreditLossAtAcquisitionDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount at par value of financing receivable purchased with credit deterioration.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 19
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919265-210447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePurchasedWithCreditDeteriorationAmountAtParValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount at purchase price of financing receivable purchased with credit deterioration.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 19
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919265-210447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePurchasedWithCreditDeteriorationAmountAtPurchasePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of discount (premium) attributable to other factors on financing receivable purchased with credit deterioration.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 19
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919265-210447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePurchasedWithCreditDeteriorationDiscountPremium
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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