Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and were prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In compliance with those instructions, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this quarterly report are presented on a consolidated basis and include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. Results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts were eliminated as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014. In the opinion of management, these condensed consolidated financial statements include all the normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the Company's condensed consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows as of September 30, 2014 and for all periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements within the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. Consistent with industry practice, the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets are unclassified due to the short-term nature of the Company's settlement obligations contrasted with the Company's ability to invest cash awaiting settlement in long-term investment securities.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncement	New Accounting Pronouncement In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new accounting pronouncement regarding revenue from contracts with customers. This new standard provides guidance on recognizing revenue, including a five step model to determine when revenue recognition is appropriate. The standard requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Adoption of the new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption not permitted. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this standard will have on the Company's financial position, results of operations, and related disclosures, and will adopt the provisions of this new standard in the first quarter of 2017.
Earnings Per Share	The calculation of basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested, using the treasury stock method. The treasury stock method assumes proceeds from the exercise price of stock options, the unamortized compensation expense and assumed tax benefits of options and restricted stock are available to acquire shares at an average market price throughout the period, and therefore, reduce the dilutive effect.
Investment Securities	Investment securities included in "Settlement assets" in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities, including variable rate demand notes. Variable rate demand note securities can be put (sold at par) typically on a daily basis with settlement periods ranging from the same day to one week, but have varying maturities through 2050. Generally, these securities are used by the Company for short-term liquidity needs and are held for short periods of time, typically less than 30 days. The Company is required to hold specific highly-rated, investment grade securities and such investments are restricted to satisfy outstanding settlement obligations in accordance with applicable state and foreign country requirements. In 2013, the Company invested in a short-term bond mutual fund which held a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities. During the first quarter of 2014, the Company sold this investment for $100.2 million, which was also the fair value of this investment as of December 31, 2013. The investment was included in "Other assets" in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013. The substantial majority of the Company's investment securities are classified as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value. Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. Western Union regularly monitors credit risk and attempts to mitigate its exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and through investment diversification. As of September 30, 2014, the majority of the Company's investment securities had credit ratings of "AA-" or better from a major credit rating agency. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are excluded from earnings and presented as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, net of related deferred taxes. Gains and losses on investments are calculated using the specific-identification method and are recognized during the period in which the investment is sold or when an investment experiences an other-than-temporary decline in value. Proceeds from the sale and maturity of available-for-sale securities during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 were $13.3 billion and $14.3 billion, respectively.
Derivatives	The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates, primarily the euro, and to a lesser degree the Canadian dollar, British pound, Australian dollar, Swiss franc, and other currencies, related to forecasted money transfer revenues and on money transfer settlement assets and obligations. The Company is also exposed to risk from derivative contracts written to its customers arising from its cross-currency Business Solutions payments operations. Additionally, the Company is exposed to interest rate risk related to changes in market rates both prior to and subsequent to the issuance of debt. The Company uses derivatives to (a) minimize its exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates and (b) facilitate cross-currency Business Solutions payments by writing derivatives to customers. The Company executes derivatives with established financial institutions, with the substantial majority of these financial institutions having credit ratings of "A-" or better from a major credit rating agency. The Company also writes Business Solutions derivatives mostly with small and medium size enterprises. The primary credit risk inherent in derivative agreements represents the possibility that a loss may occur from the nonperformance of a counterparty to the agreements. The Company performs a review of the credit risk of these counterparties at the inception of the contract and on an ongoing basis. The Company also monitors the concentration of its contracts with any individual counterparty. The Company anticipates that the counterparties will be able to fully satisfy their obligations under the agreements, but takes action when doubt arises about the counterparties' ability to perform. These actions may include requiring Business Solutions customers to post or increase collateral and for all counterparties possible termination of the related contracts. The Company's hedged foreign currency exposures are in liquid currencies; consequently, there is minimal risk that appropriate derivatives to maintain the hedging program would not be available in the future.
Foreign Currency -- Consumer-to-Consumer	Foreign Currency — Consumer-to-Consumer The Company's policy is to use longer-term foreign currency forward contracts, with maturities of up to 36 months at inception and a targeted weighted-average maturity of approximately one year, to mitigate some of the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates compared to the United States dollar could have on forecasted revenues denominated in other currencies related to its business. As of September 30, 2014, the Company's longer-term foreign currency forward contracts had maturities of a maximum of 24 months with a weighted-average maturity of approximately one year. These contracts are accounted for as cash flow hedges of forecasted revenue, with effectiveness assessed based on changes in the spot rate of the affected currencies during the period of designation. Accordingly, all changes in the fair value of the hedges not considered effective or portions of the hedge that are excluded from the measure of effectiveness are recognized immediately in "Derivative gains/(losses), net" within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company also uses short duration foreign currency forward contracts, generally with maturities from a few days up to approximately one month, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations between initiation and settlement. In addition, forward contracts, typically with maturities of less than one year at inception, are utilized to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on certain foreign currency denominated cash and other asset positions. None of these contracts are designated as accounting hedges.
Foreign Currency -- Business Solutions	Foreign Currency — Business Solutions The Company writes derivatives, primarily foreign currency forward contracts and option contracts, mostly with small and medium size enterprises and derives a currency spread from this activity as part of its Business Solutions operations. The Company aggregates its Business Solutions payments foreign currency exposures arising from customer contracts, including the derivative contracts described above, and hedges the resulting net currency risks by entering into offsetting contracts with established financial institution counterparties. The derivatives written are part of the broader portfolio of foreign currency positions arising from its cross-currency Business Solutions payments operations, which primarily include spot exchanges of currency in addition to forwards and options. Foreign exchange revenues from the total portfolio of positions were $94.4 million and $92.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $272.5 million and $264.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. None of the derivative contracts used in Business Solutions operations are designated as accounting hedges. The duration of these derivative contracts at inception is generally less than one year.
Interest Rate Hedging -- Corporate	Interest Rate Hedging — Corporate The Company utilizes interest rate swaps to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The Company designates these derivatives as fair value hedges. The change in fair value of the interest rate swaps is offset by a change in the carrying value of the debt being hedged within "Borrowings" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income has been adjusted to include the effects of interest accrued on the swaps. The Company, at times, utilizes derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. These derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges of the variability in the fixed-rate coupon of the debt expected to be issued. The effective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recorded in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.