Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Business, consolidation and presentation	Business, consolidation and presentation— We are a leading worldwide provider of payment technology services delivering innovative solutions to our customers. Our technologies, partnerships and employee expertise enable us to provide a broad range of services that allow our customers to accept various payment types. We distribute our payment services and digital commerce services across a variety of channels to merchants and partners in 29 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Brazil. We operate in three reportable segments: North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. We were incorporated in Georgia as Global Payments Inc. in 2000 and spun-off from our former parent company in 2001. Including our time as part of our former parent company, we have been in the payments business since 1967. Global Payments Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to collectively as "Global Payments," the "Company," "we," "our" or "us," unless the context requires otherwise. These unaudited consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our majority-owned subsidiaries, and all intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The consolidated balance sheet as of May 31, 2015 was derived from the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2015 but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of our management, all known adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been made. These adjustments consist of normal recurring accruals and estimates that affect the carrying amount of assets and liabilities. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2015.
Use of estimates	Use of estimates— The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Stock split	Stock split— Our board of directors declared a two-for-one stock split effected in the form of a stock dividend of one additional share of common stock for each outstanding share of common stock (the "Stock Split"). The stock dividend was paid on November 2, 2015 to all shareholders of record as of October 21, 2015. Common share and per share data in the consolidated financial statements and in the notes to our consolidated financial statements for prior periods have been adjusted to reflect the Stock Split, except for authorized common shares which were not affected.
New accounting pronouncements	New accounting pronouncements— From time-to-time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") or other standards setting bodies that may affect our current and/or future financial statements when adopted. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In November 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2015-17, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes." To simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes, the amendments in this update require that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. We adopted this ASU during the three months ended November 30, 2015 and, as a result, have presented prior-period amounts for deferred income taxes in a manner that conforms to the current-period presentation. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments." The update requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined, including the cumulative effect of the change in provisional amount as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The adjustments related to prior reporting periods since the acquisition date must be disclosed by income statement line item either on the face of the income statement or in the notes to the financial statements. We adopted this ASU during the three months ended August 31, 2015. Accordingly, we applied the amendments in this update to the measurement period adjustments made during the six months ended November 30, 2015 with no material effect on prior-period or current-period earnings. See "Note 3—Business Intangible Asset Acquisition and Joint Ventures" for more information regarding adjustments to provisional amounts that occurred during the six months ended November 30, 2015. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, "Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs." The update requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability instead of being presented as an asset. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, "Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements-Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting," to clarify that an entity may elect to present debt issuance costs related to a line-of-credit arrangement as an asset, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. We adopted both ASUs as of June 1, 2015, electing to continue to present debt issuance costs related to our revolving credit facilities as an asset, and as a result, have presented prior-period amounts for debt issuance costs related to our term loans in a manner that conforms to the current-period presentation. The adoption of this standard did not affect our results of operations or cash flows in either the current or prior interim or annual periods. See "Note 6—Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities" for more information about the presentation of debt issuance costs. Recently Issued Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, "Intangibles—Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement." The amendments in this update provide guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The guidance will not change GAAP for a customer’s accounting for service contracts. The amendments will be effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted for all entities. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2015-05 on our consolidated financial statements and internal controls over financial reporting and have not yet adopted the new standard. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP and permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The standard requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We are evaluating the impact of ASU 2014-09 on our consolidated financial statements and internal controls over financial reporting.