Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies General In the normal course of business through the origination of unsecured credit card receivables, we incur off-balance-sheet risks. These risks include commitments of £1.8 million ($2.8 million) at June 30, 2013 to purchase receivables associated with cardholders who have the right to borrow in excess of their current balances up to the maximum credit limit on their credit card accounts. We have never experienced a situation in which all of our customers have exercised their entire available line of credit at any given point in time, nor do we anticipate this will ever occur in the future. Moreover, there would be a concurrent increase in assets should there be any exercise of these lines of credit. We also have the effective right to reduce or cancel these available lines of credit at any time. At June 30, 2013, our remaining available lines of credit associated with credit cards related to those cards issued under programs in the U.K. Additionally our CAR operations provide floor-plan financing for a pre-qualified network of independent automotive dealers and automotive finance companies in the buy-here, pay-here used car business. The financings allow dealers and finance companies to borrow in excess of their current balances up to the maximum pre-approved credit limit allowed in order to finance ongoing inventory needs. These loans are secured by the underlying auto inventory and, in certain cases where we have other lending products outstanding with the dealer, are also secured by the collateral under those lending arrangements as well, including any outstanding dealer reserves. As of June 30, 2013, CAR had unfunded outstanding floor-plan financing commitments totaling $5.8 million. Each draw against unused commitments is reviewed for conformity to pre-established guidelines. Under our merchant credit products, we give consumers the ability to borrow up to the maximum credit limit assigned to each individual’s account. Our unfunded commitments under these products aggregated $39.0 million at June 30, 2013. We have never experienced a situation in which all of our customers have exercised their entire available line of credit at any given point in time, nor do we anticipate this will ever occur in the future. Moreover, there would be a concurrent increase in assets should there be any exercise of these lines of credit. We also have the effective right to reduce or cancel these available lines of credit at any time. Atlanticus Services Corporation’s (formerly CompuCredit Corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation) third-party originating financial institution relationships require security (collateral) related to their issuance of credit cards and cardholder purchases thereunder, of which $0.2 million remains pledged to support various ongoing contractual obligations. In addition, in connection with our U.K. Portfolio acquisition, Atlanticus Services Corporation guarantees certain obligations of its subsidiaries and its third-party originating financial institution to one of the European payment systems ($0.2 million as of June 30, 2013). Those obligations include, among other things, compliance with one of the European payment system’s operating regulations and by-laws. Atlanticus Services Corporation also guarantees certain performance obligations of its servicer affiliate to the indenture trustee and the trust created under the structured financing relating to our U.K. Portfolio. Under agreements with third-party originating and other financial institutions, we have agreed to (1) indemnify the financial institutions for certain liabilities associated with the financial institutions’ card issuance and other lending activities on our behalf—such indemnification obligations generally being limited to instances in which we either (a) have been afforded the opportunity to defend against any potentially indemnifiable claims or (b) have reached agreement with the financial institutions regarding settlement of potentially indemnifiable claims, and (2) certain contingent liabilities (capped at $4.4 million) that could arise for us upon the non-performance by third parties under their financial obligations. As of June 30, 2013, we have assessed the likelihood of any potential payments related to the aforementioned contingencies as remote. We will accrue liabilities related to these contingencies in any future period if and in which we assess the likelihood of an estimable payment as probable. Total System Services, Inc. provides certain services to Atlanticus Services Corporation as a system of record provider under an agreement that extends through May 2015. If Atlanticus Services Corporation were to terminate its U.S. relationship with Total System Services, Inc. prior to the contractual termination period, it would incur significant penalties ($9.1 million as of June 30, 2013). We also are subject to certain minimum payments under cancelable and non-cancelable lease arrangements. For further information regarding these commitments See Note 9, “Leases,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. Litigation We are involved in various legal proceedings that are incidental to the conduct of our business, none of which are material to us.

Commitments and Contingencies

General

In the normal course of business through the origination of unsecured credit card receivables, we incur off-balance-sheet risks. These risks include commitments of £1.8 million ($2.8 million) at June 30, 2013 to purchase receivables associated with cardholders who have the right to borrow in excess of their current balances up to the maximum credit limit on their credit card accounts. We have never experienced a situation in which all of our customers have exercised their entire available line of credit at any given point in time, nor do we anticipate this will ever occur in the future. Moreover, there would be a concurrent increase in assets should there be any exercise of these lines of credit. We also have the effective right to reduce or cancel these available lines of credit at any time. At June 30, 2013, our remaining available lines of credit associated with credit cards related to those cards issued under programs in the U.K.

Additionally our CAR operations provide floor-plan financing for a pre-qualified network of independent automotive dealers and automotive finance companies in the buy-here, pay-here used car business. The financings allow dealers and finance companies to borrow in excess of their current balances up to the maximum pre-approved credit limit allowed in order to finance ongoing inventory needs. These loans are secured by the underlying auto inventory and, in certain cases where we have other lending products outstanding with the dealer, are also secured by the collateral under those lending arrangements as well, including any outstanding dealer reserves. As of June 30, 2013, CAR had unfunded outstanding floor-plan financing commitments totaling $5.8 million. Each draw against unused commitments is reviewed for conformity to pre-established guidelines.

Under our merchant credit products, we give consumers the ability to borrow up to the maximum credit limit assigned to each individual’s account. Our unfunded commitments under these products aggregated $39.0 million at June 30, 2013. We have never experienced a situation in which all of our customers have exercised their entire available line of credit at any given point in time, nor do we anticipate this will ever occur in the future. Moreover, there would be a concurrent increase in assets should there be any exercise of these lines of credit. We also have the effective right to reduce or cancel these available lines of credit at any time.

Atlanticus Services Corporation’s (formerly CompuCredit Corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation) third-party originating financial institution relationships require security (collateral) related to their issuance of credit cards and cardholder purchases thereunder, of which $0.2 million remains pledged to support various ongoing contractual obligations. In addition, in connection with our U.K. Portfolio acquisition, Atlanticus Services Corporation guarantees certain obligations of its subsidiaries and its third-party originating financial institution to one of the European payment systems ($0.2 million as of June 30, 2013). Those obligations include, among other things, compliance with one of the European payment system’s operating regulations and by-laws. Atlanticus Services Corporation also guarantees certain performance obligations of its servicer affiliate to the indenture trustee and the trust created under the structured financing relating to our U.K. Portfolio.

Under agreements with third-party originating and other financial institutions, we have agreed to (1) indemnify the financial institutions for certain liabilities associated with the financial institutions’ card issuance and other lending activities on our behalf—such indemnification obligations generally being limited to instances in which we either (a) have been afforded the opportunity to defend against any potentially indemnifiable claims or (b) have reached agreement with the financial institutions regarding settlement of potentially indemnifiable claims, and (2) certain contingent liabilities (capped at $4.4 million) that could arise for us upon the non-performance by third parties under their financial obligations. As of June 30, 2013, we have assessed the likelihood of any potential payments related to the aforementioned contingencies as remote. We will accrue liabilities related to these contingencies in any future period if and in which we assess the likelihood of an estimable payment as probable.

Total System Services, Inc. provides certain services to Atlanticus Services Corporation as a system of record provider under an agreement that extends through May 2015. If Atlanticus Services Corporation were to terminate its U.S. relationship with Total System Services, Inc. prior to the contractual termination period, it would incur significant penalties ($9.1 million as of June 30, 2013).

We also are subject to certain minimum payments under cancelable and non-cancelable lease arrangements. For further information regarding these commitments See Note 9, “Leases,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Litigation

We are involved in various legal proceedings that are incidental to the conduct of our business, none of which are material to us.