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2.25% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019 - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 D | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Jun. 30, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument, convertible, terms of conversion | Holders may convert their notes at their option at any time prior to January 1, 2019 only under the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on September 30, 2014 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of the common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business day period after any five consecutive trading day period (the “measurement period”) in which the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of our common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; or (3) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. On or after January 1, 2019 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their notes at any time, regardless of the foregoing circumstances. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election. |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument, convertible maturity start date | Jan. 01, 2019 |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, convertible trading days | 20 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdTradingDays |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, convertible consecutive trading days | 30 days |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, convertible business days | 5 days |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from issuance of convertible debt | $ 330,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromConvertibleDebt |  |  |  |
Payment for capped call transactions | 19,668,000 us-gaap_PaymentsForHedgeFinancingActivities |  |  |  |
Net of deferred income tax effect amounts | (20,236,973)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | (7,847,513)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | (492,362)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit |  |
Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of debt conversion price | 130.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdPercentageOfStockPriceTrigger / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  |  |  |
Capped Call Transactions [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Strike price, per share | $ 126.02 meli_StrikePricePerShare / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = meli_CappedCallMember |  |  |  |
Approximate cap price, per share | $ 155.81 meli_CapPricePerShare / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = meli_CappedCallMember |  |  |  |
2.25% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, aggregate principal amount | 330,000,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  | 330,000,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember | 330,000,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
Debt instrument, interest rate | 2.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  | 2.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember | 2.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
Debt instrument, maturity year | 2019 |  |  | 2019 |
Debt instrument, maturity end date | Jul. 01, 2019 |  |  |  |
Debt instrument description | The Notes are unsecured, unsubordinated obligations of the Company, which pay interest in cash semi-annually, on January 1 and July 1, at a rate of 2.25% per annum. |  |  |  |
Converted condition description | The Notes may be converted, under the conditions specified below, based on an initial conversion rate of 7.9353 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $126.02 per share of common stock) |  |  |  |
Debt conversion, converted instrument, principal amount | 1,000 us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentAmount1 / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  | 1,000 us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentAmount1 / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
Initial conversion rate | 7.9353%us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentRate / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  | 7.9353%us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentRate / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
Debt conversion price per share of common stock | $ 126.02 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1 / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  | $ 126.02 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1 / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember | $ 126.02 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1 / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
Proceeds from issuance of convertible debt, net of transaction cost |  |  |  |  | 322,000,000 meli_ProceedsFromConvertibleDebtNetOfTransactionCost / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember
Net carrying amount | 283,015,125 us-gaap_DebtLongtermAndShorttermCombinedAmount / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Debt discount | 46,984,875 us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalEquityComponentOfConvertibleDebt / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Effective interest rate after allocation of transaction costs | 6.10%meli_EffectiveInterestRate / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Cash flows, discount rate | 5.55%us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Deferred tax liabilities, convertible notes | 16,444,706 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesFinancingArrangements / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
2.25% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member] | Capped Call Transactions [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from issuance of convertible debt | 321,731,960 us-gaap_ProceedsFromConvertibleDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = meli_CappedCallMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Transaction costs | 8,268,040 us-gaap_DebtIssuanceCosts / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = meli_CappedCallMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Payment for capped call transactions | 19,668,000 us-gaap_PaymentsForHedgeFinancingActivities / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = meli_CappedCallMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Net of deferred income tax effect amounts | 12,784,200 us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = meli_CappedCallMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = meli_TwoPointTwoFivePercentageConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandNineteenMember |  |  |  |
Measurement Period [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt conversion, converted instrument, principal amount | $ 1,000 us-gaap_DebtConversionConvertedInstrumentAmount1 / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis = meli_MeasurementPeriodOneMember |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, convertible consecutive trading days | 5 days |  |  |  |
Measurement Period [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of debt conversion price | 98.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleThresholdPercentageOfStockPriceTrigger / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis = meli_MeasurementPeriodOneMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |

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- Definition The cash inflow from the issuance of a long-term debt instrument which can be exchanged for a specified amount of another security, typically the entity's common stock, at the option of the issuer or the holder. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Financing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 14 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3255-108585 + Details
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