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Commitments and Contingencies (Details)
 0 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
Argentinean Subsidiaries [Member]
item
Mar. 31, 2015
Mexican Subsidiaries [Member]
item
Sep. 23, 2010
State of Sao Paulo Fraud Claim [Member]
USD ($)
Aug. 25, 2010
State of Sao Paulo Fraud Claim [Member]
USD ($)
Jun. 29, 2009
State of Sao Paulo Fraud Claim [Member]
USD ($)
Aug. 15, 2011
City of Sao Paulo Tax Claim [Member]
BRL
Mar. 31, 2015
City of Sao Paulo Tax Claim [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
City of Sao Paulo Tax Claim [Member]
BRL
Dec. 31, 2007
City of Sao Paulo Tax Claim [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
Brazilian Ordinary Courts [Member]
item
Mar. 31, 2015
Brazilian Consumer Courts [Member]
item
Mar. 31, 2015
Brazilian Federal Tax Claims [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
Brazilian Federal Tax Claims [Member]
BRL
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]                            
Reserves for proceeding-related contingencies $ 2,708,000us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue                          
Aggregate amount for legal actions for which no loss amount has been accrued 4,451,000meli_AggregateAmountForLegalActionsForWhichNoLossAmountHasBeenAccrued                          
Number of lawsuits pending   41meli_LawsuitsPending
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= meli_ArgentineanSubsidiariesMember		 2meli_LawsuitsPending
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= meli_MexicanSubsidiariesMember		                      
Number of legal actions pending   767us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= meli_ArgentineanSubsidiariesMember		 57us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= meli_MexicanSubsidiariesMember		               641us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_BrazilianOrdinaryCourtsMember		 2,672us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_BrazilianConsumerCourtsMember		    
Daily non-compliance penalty         6,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_StateOfSaoPauloFraudClaimMember		 2,500us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_StateOfSaoPauloFraudClaimMember		                
Penalty and damages       6,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_StateOfSaoPauloFraudClaimMember		                    
Approximate additional amount related to asserted taxes and fines               12,800,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember		 41,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember		 5,900,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember		     1,600,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_BrazilianFederalTaxClaimsMember		 5,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_BrazilianFederalTaxClaimsMember
Total amount of claim including surcharges and interest               5,800,000meli_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLossIncludingSurchargesAndInterest
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember		            
Deposit with court             9,500,000meli_LossContingencyDepositsWithCourtOfLaw
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember		              
Accrued interests               $ 3,200,000meli_LossContingencyInterestAccruedOnSettlement
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember		 10,400,000meli_LossContingencyInterestAccruedOnSettlement
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= meli_CityOfSaoPauloTaxClaimMember