BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 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 globally. 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 services across a variety of channels to merchants and partners in 30 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and in Brazil and 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 payment technology services 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, 2016 was derived from the audited financial statements for the year ended May 31, 2016 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2016 but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for annual financial statements. 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, 2016. On July 27, 2016, the Board of Directors authorized a change in our fiscal year-end from May 31 to December 31. As a result of the change, we will file a Transition Report on Form 10-K for the seven-month transition period ending December 31, 2016 (the "Transition Period"). During the Transition Period, we will continue to file Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q based on our prior year-end.
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.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("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 does not change GAAP for a customer’s accounting for service contracts. We adopted this standard as of June 1, 2016 on a prospective basis, and it was not material to our balance sheet and/or our results of operations or cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments," which makes clarifications to how cash receipts and cash payments in certain transactions are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 will be effective for years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods, and will require adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case we would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. Early adoption is permitted. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2016-15 on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial instruments." The amendments in this update change how companies measure and recognize credit impairment for many financial assets. The new expected credit loss model will require companies to immediately recognize an estimate of credit losses expected to occur over the remaining life of the financial assets (including trade receivables) that are in the scope of the update. The update also made amendments to the current impairment model for held-to-maturity and available-for-sale debt securities and certain guarantees. The guidance will be effective for years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim periods in years beginning after December 15, 2018. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2016-13 on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting." The amendments in this update 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. This update also changes the guidance on employers’ accounting for an employee’s use of shares to satisfy the employer’s statutory income tax withholding obligation, and permits entities to elect to recognize forfeitures based on actuals or estimates. Finally, the update eliminates the hypothetical additional paid-in capital pool, permits stock option deductions even if not realized in the current year on a return, requires companies to present excess tax benefits as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows rather than as a financing activity and potentially has a dilutive effect on earnings per share ("EPS") to the extent that excess tax benefits have historically been included in the calculation of diluted EPS. The amendments in this update will be effective for years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those years. 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 years, including interim 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 earnings. 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 years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those years. Except for specific aspects of this pronouncement, early adoption of the amendments in this update is not permitted. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2016-01 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 update 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 years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods, with early adoption permitted for years 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.