Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Total revenue	$ 280,075	$ 241,190	$ 236,464	$ 271,762	$ 289,443		$ 267,010		$ 253,608		$ 284,635		$ 1,029,491		$ 1,094,696		$ 1,030,486
Cost of revenue	128,973	106,230	102,473	124,671	137,718		122,907		112,359		132,162		462,347		505,146		443,972
Net revenue	151,102	134,960	133,991	147,091	151,725		144,103		141,249		152,473		567,144		589,550		586,514
Net Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations					7,492		(9,370)		(11,746)		3,237		27,566		(10,387)		59,182
Net Income from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax					14,522		19,286		32,717		42,500		0		109,025		83,346
Net income attributable to Cash America International, Inc.	$ 12,612	$ 5,038	$ 2,071	$ 7,845	$ 22,014		$ 9,916		$ 20,971		$ 45,737		$ 27,566		$ 98,638		$ 142,528
Diluted earnings per share - continuing operations					$ 0.26	[1]	$ (0.32)	[1]	$ (0.41)	[1]	$ 0.11	[1]	$ 1.01		$ (0.36)		$ 1.93
Diluted earnings per share - discontinued operations					0.50		0.66		1.12		1.44		0.00		3.72		2.72
Net income - diluted	$ 0.49	$ 0.19	$ 0.08	$ 0.27	$ 0.75	[2]	$ 0.34	[2]	$ 0.72	[2]	$ 1.55	[2]	$ 1.01		$ 3.36		$ 4.66
Diluted weighted average common shares	25,865	26,773	27,508	28,780	29,284		29,312		29,256		29,500		27,238	[3]	29,341	[3]	30,613	[3]

[1] Since a net loss exists for the second and third quarters of 2014, all potentially dilutive securities are anti-dilutive and are therefore excluded from the per-share calculations.

[2] The sum of the quarterly per share amounts may not sum to each full year amount presented in the Company’s financial statements because these calculations are made independently for each quarter and for the full year and take into account the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for each period, including the effect of dilutive securities for that period. For information about the Company’s calculation of diluted weighted average common shares, see Note 1.

[3] Excludes 49, 70, and 12 anti-dilutive shares for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and 2013, respectively. (e) Since a net loss from continuing operations exists for the year ended December 31, 2014, all potentially dilutive securities are anti-dilutive and are therefore excluded from the diluted per-share calculation.