Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share Under Guidance of ASC 260 (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Basic EPS:
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders		$ 120,622	$ 83,805	$ 281,216	$ 243,012
Basic EPS (a)/(b)	[1]	$ 0.66	$ 0.45	$ 1.53	$ 1.30
Diluted EPS:
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders		$ 120,622	$ 83,805	$ 281,216	$ 243,012
Diluted EPS (c)/(d)	[1]	$ 0.65	$ 0.45	$ 1.52	$ 1.29
Common Stock
Basic EPS:
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders		$ 120,622	$ 83,805	$ 281,216	$ 243,012
Less income allocated to nonvested awards		(991)	(843)	(2,445)	(2,477)
Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation (a)		$ 119,631	$ 82,962	$ 278,771	$ 240,535
Average common shares outstanding (b)		182,431	183,692	182,701	184,641
Basic EPS (a)/(b)		$ 0.66	$ 0.45	$ 1.53	$ 1.30
Diluted EPS:
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders		$ 120,622	$ 83,805	$ 281,216	$ 243,012
Less income allocated to nonvested awards		(985)	(836)	(2,432)	(2,454)
Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation (c)		$ 119,637	$ 82,969	$ 278,784	$ 240,558
Average common shares outstanding		182,431	183,692	182,701	184,641
Increase due to assumed issuance of shares related to common equivalent shares outstanding		1,327	1,995	1,214	2,277
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (d)		183,758	185,687	183,915	186,918
Diluted EPS (c)/(d)		$ 0.65	$ 0.45	$ 1.52	$ 1.29
Participating Securities
Basic EPS:
Less income allocated to nonvested awards		$ 991	$ 843	$ 2,445	$ 2,477
Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation (a)		$ 991	$ 843	$ 2,445	$ 2,477
Average common shares outstanding (b)		1,523	1,885	1,619	1,918
Basic EPS (a)/(b)		$ 0.65	$ 0.45	$ 1.51	$ 1.29
Diluted EPS:
Less income allocated to nonvested awards		$ 985	$ 836	$ 2,432	$ 2,454
Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation (c)		$ 985	$ 836	$ 2,432	$ 2,454
Average common shares outstanding		1,523	1,885	1,619	1,918
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (d)		1,523	1,885	1,619	1,918
Diluted EPS (c)/(d)		$ 0.65	$ 0.44	$ 1.50	$ 1.28

[1] EPS amounts may not total due to rounding