BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2016
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 for the year ended May 31, 2015 included in our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 5, 2016 but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for annual financial statements.
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"), and 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 for prior periods in the consolidated financial statements and in the notes to our consolidated financial statements 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 nine months ended February 29, 2016 and, as a result, have presented prior-period amounts for deferred income taxes in a manner that conforms to the current-period presentation. The adoption of this standard was not material to our balance sheets and did not affect our results of operations or cash flows in either the period of adoption or the previous interim or annual periods. 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 nine months ended February 29, 2016. The adoption of this standard was not material to our balance sheets and did not affect our results of operations or cash flows in either the period of adoption or the previous interim or annual periods. See "Note 3—Business and Intangible Asset Acquisitions and Joint Ventures" for more information regarding adjustments to provisional amounts that occurred during the nine months ended February 29, 2016. 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 these standards was not material to our balance sheets and 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 March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting," that will change how companies account for certain aspects of share-based payments to employees. Entities will be required to recognize the income tax effects of awards in the statement of income when the awards vest or are settled, the guidance on employers’ accounting for an employee’s use of shares to satisfy the employer’s statutory income tax withholding obligation and for forfeitures is changing and the update requires companies to present excess tax benefits as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows rather than as a financing activity. The amendments in this update will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2016-09 on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases." The amendments in this update require lessees to recognize, on the balance sheet, assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leases. Accounting by lessors will remain largely unchanged. The guidance will be effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Adoption will require a modified retrospective transition where the lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." The amendments in this update address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The amendments in this update supersede the guidance to classify equity securities with readily determinable fair values into different categories (that is, trading or available-for-sale) and require equity securities (including other ownership interests, such as partnerships, unincorporated joint ventures, and limited liability companies) to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income. Equity investments that are accounted for under the equity method of accounting or result in consolidation of an investee are not included within the scope of this update. The amendments allow equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values to be remeasured at fair value either upon the occurrence of an observable price change or upon identification of an impairment. The amendments also require enhanced disclosures about those investments. The guidance will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. Early application is permitted. We do not expect the amendments in ASU 2016-01 to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. 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 do not expect the amendments in ASU 2015-05 to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. 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. ASU 2014-09, as amended by ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date," is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2014-09, as well as other clarifications and technical guidance issued by the FASB related to this new revenue standard, on our consolidated financial statements.