Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended										1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 MoneyGram International Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Performance unit incentive plan (PUP) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Performance unit incentive plan (PUP) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Performance unit incentive plan (PUP) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 PBRS Units [Member]	Feb. 28, 2012 Restricted Stock RSU [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock Units and Performance Based Restricted Stock Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted Stock Units and Performance Based Restricted Stock Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Restricted Stock Units and Performance Based Restricted Stock Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock options [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Stock options [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Stock options [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 PBRS [Member]	Jan. 31, 2011 PBRS [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 PBRS [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 PBRS [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 PBRS [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Performance Based Restricted Stock Shares [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Performance Based Restricted Stock Shares [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Performance Based Restricted Stock Shares [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock options granted 2010 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock options granted 2004 and 2008 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock options granted 2003 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock options granted 2002 and prior [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restructuring Charges [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restructuring Charges [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Restructuring Charges [Member]
Share Based Compensation (Textual) [Abstract]
Useful Life of the 2007 plan	10 years
Share-based compensation before income tax benefit	$ 7,232,000	$ 4,413,000	$ 3,518,000				$ 94,000					$ 450,000	$ 120,000	$ 253,000	$ 593,000	$ 537,000	$ 447,000																	$ 253,000	$ 124,000	$ 519,000
Unamortized cost																		4,000,000
Recognition Period of Unrecognized cost															1 year			2 years
Repurchase of Common Stock for Employee Tax Withholding Obligations amount	1,100,000	679,000	573,000
Repurchase of Common Stock for Employee Tax Withholding Obligations amount, shares	56,885	28,627	28,407
Minimum number of shares of common stock available for grant	1,700,000
Additional number of shares of common stock available for grant	1,500,000
Shares Available for Grant	1,071,632
Payments To Employees	0	0									257,000											35,000	52,000
Liabilities related to restricted stock												633,000	475,000
Liability awards recorded		714,000					3,700,000
Total unrecognized cost related to non-vested stock option awards	104,000
stock options granted	0		280,900			2,267
Stock options outstanding minimum						$ 19.57
Weighted-average remaining contractual life						1 year
Weighted-average exercised	$ 22.03	$ 23.32	$ 23.38	$ 25.74	$ 19.57
Effective vesting date										Dec. 31, 2009
PUP award cancelled							0	0										4,150	7,115	4,250						126,550
PUP awards, Granted									0									168,050	191,850	157,900						29,547
PUP award vested							0	0	0									219,571	91,212	65,961				416	18,414
Options Exercised	12,099	14,616	22,311			135
Term of Stock options granted																					3 years									10 years	7 years	10 years	10 years
Percentage of Stock options granted																															20.00%		50.00%
Stock price, Expected Volatility Rate																														3320.00%
Stock price, Expected Period																														5 years
Stock price, Expected Dividend Yield																														80.00%
Stock price, Risk free interest rate																														2.44%
Period of US Treasury strip	5 years
Capitalized share-based compensation costs	0	0	0
Grant date fair value of restricted stock vested																		$ 20.46	$ 22.70	$ 19.30						$ 35.31
Grant date fair value of restricted stock vested																		$ 4,000,000	$ 2,900,000	$ 2,300,000							$ 6,000	$ 615,000	$ 1,000,000