Earnings Per Share - Common Stock (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Basic EPS:
Net income	$ 141,841	$ 105,868
Less income allocated to nonvested awards	(168)	(373)
Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation	$ 141,673	$ 105,495
Nonvested awards (in shares)	181,395	183,220
Basic EPS	$ 0.78	$ 0.58
Diluted EPS:
Net income	$ 141,841	$ 105,868
Less income allocated to nonvested awards	(168)	(373)
Add income allocated to nonvested awards	168	373
Net income allocated to common stock for EPS calculation	$ 141,841	$ 105,868
Average common shares outstanding	181,395	183,220
Increase due to assumed issuance of shares related to common equivalent shares outstanding	1,236	1,067
Average nonvested awards	667	651
Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding	183,298	184,938
Diluted EPS attributable to TSYS common shareholders (Note 11) (in dollars per share)	$ 0.77	$ 0.57