Consolidated financial statements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Net income attributable to Deluxe	$ 9,644	$ 24,292
Decrease in earnings [Member]
Net income attributable to Deluxe	$ (2,197)

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120399700&loc=SL114874048-224260

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 32
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123359005&loc=d3e8933-108599

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22595-107794

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(18))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400993&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 40
-Section 65
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123482062&loc=SL123482106-238011

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431353&loc=SL124452729-227067

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-02(a)(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442552-122756

Reference 8: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(20))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123367319&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 9: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123570139&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22499-107794

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-01(a)(4)(iv))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442526-122756

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-01(a)(4)(iii)(A))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442526-122756

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-02(a)(4)(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442552-122756

Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-01(a)(4)(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442526-122756

Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22663-107794

Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-02(a)(4)(iv))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442552-122756

Reference 17: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-01(a)(4)(ii))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442526-122756

Reference 18: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123596393&loc=d3e14064-108612

Reference 19: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22583-107794

Reference 20: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(g)(1)(ii))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 21: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 60B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125511455&loc=SL5780133-109256

Reference 22: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

Reference 23: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22658-107794

Reference 24: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124509347&loc=SL7669619-108580

Reference 25: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 31
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123359005&loc=d3e8924-108599

Reference 26: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22694-107794

Reference 27: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124431687&loc=d3e22694-107794

Reference 28: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222650&loc=SL51721683-107760

Reference 29: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124509347&loc=SL7669625-108580

Reference 30: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123359005&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 31: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-01(a)(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442526-122756

Reference 32: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-02(a)(4)(iii)(B))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442552-122756

Reference 33: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (SX 210.13-02(a)(4)(iii)(A))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124359900&loc=SL124442552-122756

Reference 34: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 30
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123359005&loc=d3e8906-108599

Reference 35: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 32
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123359005&loc=d3e8933-108599

+ Details