Revenue - Impact of New Guidance on Financial Statements (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.	$ 224,684
Contract assets	80,683		$ 87,812
Contract cost assets	151,758			$ 258,665
Deferred income tax assets	8,104			6,091
Other assets	117,550			124,021
Contract liabilities	78,805		$ 76,541
Other liabilities (short-term and long-term)	317,188
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net	(21,219)			(36,148)
Retained earnings	3,117,519			$ 3,004,018
Income Statement
Total revenues	987,170	$ 1,184,725
Total operating expenses	798,899	1,017,542
Operating income	188,271	167,183
Income taxes	18,135	43,082
Net income	143,102	107,107
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders	$ 141,841	$ 105,868
Basic earnings per share (EPS) attributable to TSYS common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.78	$ 0.58
Diluted EPS attributable to TSYS common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.77	$ 0.57
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 143,102	$ 107,107
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	104,389	104,178
Contract assets and contract liabilities	498	4,228
Contract cost assets	2,168
Other current and other long-term liabilities.	(22,700)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to contract acquisition costs		$ (7,668)
Balances without adoption of adoption of ASC 606 | ASU 2014-09
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.	226,745
Contract cost assets	257,432
Deferred income tax assets	7,227
Other assets	122,968
Contract liabilities	75,138
Other liabilities (short-term and long-term)	347,538
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net	(21,132)
Retained earnings	3,122,342
Income Statement
Total revenues	1,362,501
Total operating expenses	1,173,741
Operating income	188,760
Income taxes	18,247
Net income	143,480
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders	$ 142,218
Basic earnings per share (EPS) attributable to TSYS common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.78
Diluted EPS attributable to TSYS common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.78
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 143,480
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	121,591
Contract assets and contract liabilities	(6,375)
Other current and other long-term liabilities.	(22,680)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to contract acquisition costs	(8,559)
Effect of Change Higher/(Lower) | ASU 2014-09
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.	(2,061)
Contract assets	80,683
Contract cost assets	(105,674)
Deferred income tax assets	877
Other assets	(5,418)
Contract liabilities	3,667
Other liabilities (short-term and long-term)	(30,350)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net	(87)
Retained earnings	(4,823)
Income Statement
Total revenues	(375,331)
Total operating expenses	(374,842)
Operating income	(489)
Income taxes	(112)
Net income	(378)
Net income attributable to TSYS common shareholders	$ (377)
Basic earnings per share (EPS) attributable to TSYS common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00
Diluted EPS attributable to TSYS common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ (378)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	(17,202)
Contract assets and contract liabilities	6,873
Contract cost assets	2,168
Other current and other long-term liabilities.	(20)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to contract acquisition costs	$ 8,559