Notes Payable Schedule of structured financing notes at face value (Details)					12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended												12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Related Party Transaction [Domain]		Dec. 31, 2014 Amortizing debt facility expiring December 2014 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Amortizing debt facility expiring December 2014 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Amortizing debt facility expiring April 2015 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Amortizing debt facility expiring April 2015 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Amortizing debt facility expiring July 2015 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Amortizing debt facility expiring July 2015 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Amortizing debt facility expiring September 2014 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Amortizing debt facility expiring September 2014 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring October 2015 [Member] [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Expiring October 2015 [Member] [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring April 2016 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Expiring April 2016 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Amortizing Debt Facility Secured by ACC Auto Finance Segment [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Amortizing Debt Facility Secured by ACC Auto Finance Segment [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring December 2016 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Expiring December 2016 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Software and Equipment Purchases Secured by Equipment [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Software and Equipment Purchases Secured by Equipment [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring October 2017 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Expiring October 2017 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring May 2015 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Expiring May 2015 [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring December 2016 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Expiring December 2016 [Member] GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2013 Expiring December 2016 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Related Party Transaction [Domain] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Related Party Transaction [Domain] USD ($)
Notes Payable, at Face Value [Abstract]
Outstanding balance																																											$ 28,500,000	[1],[2]	$ 22,000,000	[1],[2]	$ 4,000,000	[1]	$ 4,000,000	[1]	$ 3,900,000		$ 8,200,000
Secured Debt							0	[3],[4]	3,300,000	[3],[4]	0	[3],[4]	5,800,000	[3],[4]	500,000	[3],[4]	8,300,000	[3],[4]	30,000,000	[3],[5]	3,500,000	[3],[5]	7,800,000	[3],[5]	0	[3],[5]	3,900,000	[3],[5]	500,000	[3],[5]	100,000	[6]	900,000	[6]			0	200,000
Notes Payable, Related Parties	20,000,000		0																																																			20,000,000	[7]	0	[7]
Notes Payable	98,700,000		56,700,000
Weighted average interest rate	5.40%	[3]	8.80%	[3]																																			3.70%	[1]	4.70%	[1]
Carrying amount of receivables as security for structured financing notes																																							75,400,000	[1],[2]	83,500,000	[1],[2]
Loans pledged as collateral	42,200,000	[3],[4]	16,500,000	[3],[4]																											400,000	[6]	2,500,000	[6]	4,100,000	9,600,000
Basis spread on interest rate																																																			7.00%	7.00%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	9.20%				9.00%	[7]																																													9.20%	9.20%	9.10%
Maturity date					Nov. 25, 2015	[7]	Dec. 15, 2014	[3],[4]			Apr. 20, 2015	[3],[4]			Jul. 15, 2015	[3],[4]			Aug. 28, 2015	[3],[5]			Oct. 30, 2015	[3],[5]			Aug. 01, 2016	[3],[5]			Nov. 06, 2016	[6]											Oct. 04, 2017	[1],[2]			May 17, 2015	[1]			Dec. 01, 2016	Dec. 01, 2016
Maximum borrowing capacity																																																				£ 5,000,000
Percentage of receivables allocated as compensation after repayment of notes																															37.50%

[1] Loans are from the same lender and are cross-collateralized; thus, combined security interests are subject to claims upon the default of either lending arrangement. The assets of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation are not subject to creditor claims arising due to asset performance-related covenants under this loan.

[2] Loan is subject to certain affirmative covenants, including a coverage ratio, a leverage ratio and a collateral performance test, the failure of which could result in required early repayment of all or a portion of the outstanding balance by our CAR Auto Finance operations.

[3] Loans are subject to certain affirmative covenants tied to default rates and other performance metrics the failure of which could result in required early repayment of the remaining unamortized balances of the notes.

[4] Loans are from the same lender and are cross-collateralized; thus, combined security interests are subject to claims upon the default of either lending arrangement.

[5] (5)These notes were modified to either extend the maturity date, increase the loaned amount or both.

[6] The terms of this lending agreement provide for the application of all excess cash flows from the underlying auto finance receivables portfolio (above and beyond interest costs and contractual servicing compensation to our outsourced third-party servicer) to reduce the outstanding principal balance of the debt, and the outstanding principal balance was repaid in the fourth quarter of 2012. Now that we have repaid the principal portion of the note, the lending agreement requires that we remit 37.5% of future cash flows (net of contractual servicing compensation) generated on the auto finance receivables portfolio to the note holders as additional compensation for the use of their capital. Based on current estimates of this additional compensation, we currently are accruing interest expense on this liability based on current expectations of future collections, and the amount disclosed in the above table represents our accrued interest expense liability under this lending agreement. The assets of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation are not subject to creditor claims arising under this loan.

[7] See Note 16 "Related Party Transactions" for additional information regarding this note.