BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Business, consolidation and presentation	Business, consolidation and presentation - We are a leading payments technology company delivering innovative software and services to our customers globally. Our technologies, services and team member expertise allow us to provide a broad range of solutions that enable our customers to operate their businesses more efficiently across a variety of channels around the world. We operate in three reportable segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions and Business and Consumer Solutions, which are described in "Note 13—Segment Information." Global Payments Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to herein 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 ("SEC"). The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 was derived from the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 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 December 31, 2020.
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. In particular, the future magnitude, duration and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are difficult to predict at this time, and the ultimate effect could result in additional charges related to the recoverability of assets, including financial assets, long-lived assets and goodwill and other losses. These unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect the financial statement effects of COVID-19 based upon management’s estimates and assumptions utilizing the most currently available information.
Recently adopted accounting pronouncements and recently issued pronouncements not yet adopted	Recently adopted accounting pronouncements Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2019-12 — In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2019-12, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes," which is intended to enhance and simplify various aspects of the accounting for income taxes. The amendments in this update remove certain exceptions to the general principles in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 740 related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. ASU 2019-12 also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistency in application of the accounting for franchise taxes, enacted changes in tax laws or rates and transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. The adoption of ASU 2019-12 on January 1, 2021 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. Recently issued pronouncements not yet adopted ASU 2021-08— In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers." Under current GAAP, an acquirer generally recognizes assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination, including contract assets and contract liabilities arising from revenue contracts with customers and other similar contracts that are accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 606, at fair value on the acquisition date. ASU 2021-08 requires that an entity recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with ASC Topic 606. At the acquisition date, an acquirer should account for the related revenue contracts in accordance with ASC Topic 606 as if it had originated the contracts, which should generally result in an acquirer recognizing and measuring the acquired contract assets and contract liabilities consistent with how they were recognized and measured in the acquiree’s financial statements. This update also provides certain practical expedients for acquirers when recognizing and measuring acquired contract assets and contract liabilities from revenue contracts in a business combination. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years and should be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. Adoption during an interim period requires retrospective application to all business combinations for which the acquisition date occurs on or after the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period of early application. We are evaluating the effect of ASU 2021-08 on our consolidated financial statements. ASU 2020-04 — In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting," which provides optional expedients and exceptions to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments in this update apply only to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference London Inter-bank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The expedients and exceptions provided by the amendments do not apply to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated after December 31, 2022, except for hedging relationships existing as of December 31, 2022 for which an entity has elected certain optional expedients and which are retained through the end of the hedging relationship. The amendments in this update also include a general principle that permits an entity to consider contract modifications due to reference rate reform to be an event that does not require contract remeasurement at the modification date or reassessment of a previous accounting determination. If elected, the optional expedients for contract modifications must be applied consistently for all eligible contracts or eligible transactions within the relevant ASC Topic or Industry Subtopic that contains the guidance that otherwise would be required to be applied. The amendments in this update were effective upon issuance and may be applied prospectively to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated on or before December 31, 2022. A portion of our indebtedness bears interest at a variable rate based on LIBOR. Furthermore, we have entered into hedging instruments to manage our exposure to fluctuations in the LIBOR benchmark interest rate. We are evaluating the effect of the discontinuance of LIBOR on our outstanding debt and hedging instruments and the related effect of ASU 2020-04 on our consolidated financial statements.