Borrowings - Senior Secured Notes - Table and Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured notes	$ 1,364,135	$ 1,613,739
Encore 2025 Notes \| Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured notes	$ 343,018	397,928
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.875%
Encore 2026 Notes \| Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured notes	$ 335,125	405,808
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	5.375%
Encore 2028 Notes \| Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured notes	$ 279,271	338,174
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.25%
Encore 2028 Floating Rate Notes \| Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured notes	$ 406,721	$ 471,829
Variable rate floor	0.00%
Encore 2028 Floating Rate Notes \| Euro Interbank Offered Rate (EURIBOR) \| Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	4.25%

Debt Instrument, Variable Rate, Floor

No definition available.

Name:	ecpg_DebtInstrumentVariableRateFloor
Namespace Prefix:	ecpg_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- 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:	dtr-types:percentItemType
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/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495323-112611

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 https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- 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

Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of Notes with the highest claim on the assets of the issuer in case of bankruptcy or liquidation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer). Senior note holders are paid off in full before any payments are made to junior note holders.

+ References

Reference 1: 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(a))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126734703&loc=d3e572229-122910

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 https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126897435&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=ecpg_Encore2025NotesMember
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_DebtInstrumentAxis=ecpg_Encore2026NotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=ecpg_Encore2028NotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=ecpg_Encore2028FloatingRateNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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