The Western Union Company (WU) 10-Q 30 Apr 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 24, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	Western Union CO
Entity Central Index Key	1365135
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		516,311,074

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Transaction fees	$948.60	$987.90
Foreign exchange revenues	338	329.3
Other revenues	34.3	33.6
Total revenues	1,320.90	1,350.80
Expenses:
Cost of services	771.8	797.2
Selling, general and administrative	276.8	281.6
Total expenses	1,048.60	1,078.80
Operating income	272.3	272
Other income/(expense):
Interest income	2.9	4.7
Interest expense	-41.8	-47.6
Derivative gains/(losses), net	1	-0.6
Other expense, net	-1.8	-1.1
Total other expense, net	-39.7	-44.6
Income before income taxes	232.6	227.4
Provision for income taxes	28.7	24.4
Net income	$203.90	$203
Earnings per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.39	$0.37
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.39	$0.37
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic:
Basic (in shares)	521	545.9
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted:
Diluted (in shares)	525.2	549.2
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$0.16	$0.13

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$203.90	$203
Other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax (Note 7):
Unrealized gains on investment securities	1	2.8
Unrealized gains on hedging activities	40.6	1.6
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-2.6	-7
Defined benefit pension plan adjustments	1.8	1.6
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	40.8	-1
Comprehensive income	$244.70	$202

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$1,755.30		$1,783.20
Settlement assets	3,472.10		3,313.70
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $495.0 and $478.5, respectively	202.6		206.4
Goodwill	3,168.80		3,169.20
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $808.7 and $820.0, respectively	772		748.1
Other assets	982.2		669.8
Total assets	10,353		9,890.40
Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	580.4		600.4
Settlement obligations	3,472.10		3,313.70
Income taxes payable	186.1		166.3
Deferred tax liability, net	317.4		305
Borrowings	3,728.60	[1]	3,720.40
Other liabilities	718.5		484.2
Total liabilities	9,003.10		8,590
Commitments and contingencies (Note 4)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $1.00 par value; 10 shares authorized; no shares issued	0		0
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 2,000 shares authorized; 517.0 shares and 521.5 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively	5.2		5.2
Capital surplus	490.9		445.4
Retained earnings	931.9		968.7
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-78.1		-118.9
Total stockholders' equity	1,349.90		1,300.40
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$10,353		$9,890.40
[1]	As of March 31, 2015, the Company's weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.4%.

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Assets
Accumulated depreciation	$495	$478.50
Accumulated amortization	$808.70	$820
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$1	$1
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	517,000,000	521,500,000
Common stock, shares outstanding	517,000,000	521,500,000

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	$203.90	$203
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	16.5	16.3
Amortization	47.4	50.9
Other non-cash items, net	16.9	-5.3
Increase/(decrease) in cash, excluding the effects of acquisitions, resulting from changes in:
Other assets	-56.9	-12
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	-34.1	-65.1
Income taxes payable	20.6	10
Other liabilities	-2.5	-1
Net cash provided by operating activities	211.8	196.8
Cash flows from investing activities
Capitalization of contract costs	-17.2	-16.6
Capitalization of purchased and developed software	-12.8	-10.8
Purchases of property and equipment	-14.4	-18.2
Acquisition of business	0	-10.2
Proceeds from sale of non-settlement related investments	0	100.2
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	-44.4	44.4
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of options	32.3	3
Cash dividends paid	-80.5	-67.6
Common stock repurchased (Note 7)	-147.1	-185.7
Net proceeds from commercial paper	0	130
Principal payments on borrowings	0	-500
Net cash used in financing activities	-195.3	-620.3
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	-27.9	-379.1
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,783.20	2,073.10
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,755.30	1,694
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid	9.6	14.2
Income taxes paid	10.6	25.9
Unsettled repurchases of common stock	$13.10	$0

Business_and_Basis_of_Presenta

Business and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business and Basis of Presentation	Business and Basis of Presentation
	Business
	The Western Union Company ("Western Union" or the "Company") is a leader in global money movement and payment services, providing people and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send money and make payments around the world. The Western Union® brand is globally recognized. The Company's services are primarily available through a network of agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. Each location in the Company's agent network is capable of providing one or more of the Company's services.
	The Western Union business consists of the following segments:
	•	Consumer-to-Consumer - The Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers between two consumers, primarily through a network of third-party agents. The Company's multi-currency, real-time money transfer service is viewed by the Company as one interconnected global network where a money transfer can be sent from one location to another, around the world. This service is available for international cross-border transfers - that is, the transfer of funds from one country to another - and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers - that is, money transfers from one location to another in the same country. This segment also includes money transfer transactions that can be initiated through websites, mobile devices and account based money transfers.
	•	Consumer-to-Business - The Consumer-to-Business operating segment facilitates bill payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations, including utilities, auto finance companies, mortgage servicers, financial service providers, government agencies and other businesses. The significant majority of the segment's revenue was generated in the United States during all periods presented, with the remainder primarily generated in Argentina.
	•	Business Solutions - The Business Solutions operating segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals. The majority of the segment's business relates to exchanges of currency at the spot rate which enables customers to make cross-currency payments. In addition, in certain countries, the Company writes foreign currency forward and option contracts for customers to facilitate future payments.
	All businesses that have not been classified in the above segments are reported as "Other" and include the Company's money order and other services, in addition to costs for the review and closing of acquisitions.
	There are legal or regulatory limitations on transferring certain assets of the Company outside of the countries where these assets are located. However, there are generally no limitations on the use of these assets within those countries. Additionally, the Company must meet minimum capital requirements in some countries in order to maintain operating licenses. As of March 31, 2015, the amount of net assets subject to these limitations totaled approximately $310 million.
	Various aspects of the Company's services and businesses are subject to United States federal, state and local regulation, as well as regulation by foreign jurisdictions, including certain banking and other financial services regulations.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and were prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In compliance with those instructions, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted.
	The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this quarterly report are presented on a consolidated basis and include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. Results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts were eliminated as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
	In the opinion of management, these condensed consolidated financial statements include all the normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the Company's condensed consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows as of March 31, 2015 and for all periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements within the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	Consistent with industry practice, the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets are unclassified due to the short-term nature of the Company's settlement obligations contrasted with the Company's ability to invest cash awaiting settlement in long-term investment securities.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
	New Accounting Pronouncement
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new accounting pronouncement regarding revenue from contracts with customers. This new standard provides guidance on recognizing revenue, including a five step model to determine when revenue recognition is appropriate. The standard requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board proposed to defer the effective date of the standard by one year and to permit early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this standard will have on the Company's financial position, results of operations, and related disclosures.

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share
	The calculation of basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested, using the treasury stock method. The treasury stock method assumes proceeds from the exercise price of stock options, the unamortized compensation expense and assumed tax benefits of options and restricted stock are available to acquire shares at an average market price throughout the period, and therefore, reduce the dilutive effect.
	For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, there were 8.9 million and 18.4 million, respectively, of outstanding options to purchase shares of Western Union stock excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation, as their effect was anti-dilutive.
	The following table provides the calculation of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in millions):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015	2014
	Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	521	545.9
	Common stock equivalents	4.2	3.3
	Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	525.2	549.2

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements
	Fair value, as defined by the relevant accounting standards, represents the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. For additional information on how the Company measures fair value, refer to the Company's consolidated financial statements within the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	The following tables reflect assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in millions):
		Fair Value Measurement Using						Assets/
								Liabilities at
								Fair
	March 31, 2015	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Value
	Assets:
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities	$	—	$	1,098.10	$	—	$	1,098.10
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	—		649.9		—		649.9
	Corporate and other debt securities	—		61.5		—		61.5
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		—		—		47.1
	Other assets:
	Derivatives	—		676.4		—		676.4
	Total assets	$	47.1	$	2,485.90	$	—	$	2,533.00
	Liabilities:
	Notes and other borrowings	$	—	$	3,910.70	$	—	$	3,910.70
	Derivatives	—		512.4		—		512.4
	Total liabilities	$	—	$	4,423.10	$	—	$	4,423.10
		Fair Value Measurement Using						Assets/
								Liabilities at
								Fair
	December 31, 2014	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Value
	Assets:
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities	$	—	$	1,038.10	$	—	$	1,038.10
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	—		316.8		—		316.8
	Corporate and other debt securities	—		70.5		—		70.5
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		—		—		47.1
	Other assets:
	Derivatives	—		423		—		423
	Total assets	$	47.1	$	1,848.40	$	—	$	1,895.50
	Liabilities:
	Notes and other borrowings	$	—	$	3,890.50	$	—	$	3,890.50
	Derivatives	—		317.1		—		317.1
	Total liabilities	$	—	$	4,207.60	$	—	$	4,207.60
	No non-recurring fair value adjustments were recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	Other Fair Value Measurements
	The carrying amounts for many of the Company's financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, settlement cash and cash equivalents, and settlement receivables and settlement obligations approximate fair value due to their short maturities. The aggregate fair value of the Company's borrowings was based on quotes from multiple banks and excluded the impact of related interest rate swaps. All the assets and liabilities in the above tables were carried at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, with the exception of borrowings, which had a carrying value of $3,728.6 million and $3,720.4 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively (see Note 10).

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies
	Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees
	The Company had approximately $85 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of March 31, 2015. The letters of credit and bank guarantees are primarily held in connection with lease arrangements and certain agent agreements. The letters of credit and bank guarantees have expiration dates through 2020, with the majority having a one-year renewal option. The Company expects to renew the letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration in most circumstances.
	Litigation and Related Contingencies
	The Company is subject to certain claims and litigation that could result in losses, including damages, fines and/or civil penalties, which could be significant, or criminal charges. Substantially all of the Company's contingencies are subject to significant uncertainties and, therefore, determining the likelihood of a loss and/or the measurement of any loss can be complex. The Company does not currently believe that any of these matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial position. However, litigation is inherently unpredictable and the Company could incur judgments, enter into settlements or revise its expectations regarding the outcome of certain matters, and such developments could have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows in the periods in which amounts are accrued or paid. The principal pending matters the Company is a party to are discussed below.
	State of Arizona Settlement Agreement
	On February 11, 2010, Western Union Financial Services, Inc. ("WUFSI"), a subsidiary of the Company, signed a settlement agreement ("Southwest Border Agreement"), which resolved all outstanding legal issues and claims with the State of Arizona (the "State") and required the Company to fund a multi-state not-for-profit organization promoting safety and security along the United States and Mexico border, in which California, Texas and New Mexico are participating with Arizona. As part of the Southwest Border Agreement, the Company has made and expects to make certain investments in its compliance programs along the United States and Mexico border and a monitor (the "Monitor") has been engaged for those programs. The Company has incurred, and expects to continue to incur, significant costs in connection with the Southwest Border Agreement. The Monitor has made a number of recommendations related to the Company's compliance programs, which the Company is implementing, including programs related to our Business Solutions segment.
	On January 31, 2014, the Southwest Border Agreement was amended to extend its term until December 31, 2017 (the "Amendment"). The Amendment imposes additional obligations on the Company and WUFSI in connection with WUFSI’s anti-money laundering ("AML") compliance programs and cooperation with law enforcement. In particular, the Amendment requires WUFSI to continue implementing the primary and secondary recommendations made by the Monitor appointed pursuant to the Southwest Border Agreement related to WUFSI’s AML compliance program, and includes, among other things, timeframes for implementing such primary and secondary recommendations. Under the Amendment, the Monitor could make additional primary recommendations until January 1, 2015 and may make additional secondary recommendations until January 31, 2017. After these dates, the Monitor may only make additional primary or secondary recommendations, as applicable, that meet certain requirements as set forth in the Amendment. Primary recommendations may also be re-classified as secondary recommendations.
	The Amendment provides that if WUFSI is unable to implement an effective AML compliance program along the U.S. and Mexico border, as determined by the Monitor and subject to limited judicial review, within the timeframes to implement the Monitor’s primary recommendations, the State may, within 180 days after the Monitor delivers its final report on the primary recommendations on December 31, 2016, and subsequent to any judicial review of the Monitor’s findings, elect one, and only one, of the following remedies: (i) assert a willful and material breach of the Southwest Border Agreement and pursue remedies under the Southwest Border Agreement, which could include initiating civil or criminal actions; or (ii) require WUFSI to pay (a) $50 million plus (b) $1 million per primary recommendation or group of primary recommendations that WUFSI fails to implement successfully. There are currently more than 70 primary recommendations and groups of primary recommendations.
	If the Monitor concludes that WUFSI has implemented an effective AML compliance program along the U.S. and Mexico border within the timeframes to implement the Monitor’s primary recommendations, the State cannot pursue either of the remedies above, except that the State may require WUFSI to pay $1 million per primary recommendation or group of primary recommendations that WUFSI fails to implement successfully.
	If, at the conclusion of the timeframe to implement the secondary recommendations on December 31, 2017, the Monitor concludes that WUFSI has not implemented an effective AML compliance program along the U.S. and Mexico border, the State cannot assert a willful and material breach of the Southwest Border Agreement but may require WUFSI to pay an additional $25 million. Additionally, if the Monitor determines that WUFSI has implemented an effective AML compliance program along the U.S. and Mexico border but has not implemented some of the Monitor’s secondary recommendations or groups of secondary recommendations that were originally classified as primary recommendations or groups of primary recommendations on the date of the Amendment, the State may require WUFSI to pay $500,000 per such secondary recommendation or group of recommendations. There is no monetary penalty associated with secondary recommendations that are classified as such on the date of the Amendment or any new secondary recommendations that the Monitor makes after the date of the Amendment.
	The Amendment requires WUFSI to continue funding the Monitor’s reasonable expenses in $500,000 increments as requested by the Monitor. The Amendment also requires WUFSI to make a one-time payment of $250,000, which was paid in March 2014, and thereafter $150,000 per month for five years to fund the activities and expenses of a money transfer transaction data analysis center formed by WUFSI and a Financial Crimes Task Force comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement representatives, including those from the State. In addition, California, Texas, and New Mexico are also participating in the money transfer transaction data analysis center.
	The changes in WUFSI’s AML program required by the Southwest Border Agreement, including the Amendment, and the Monitor’s recommendations have had, and will continue to have, adverse effects on the Company’s business, including additional costs. Additionally, if WUFSI is not able to implement a successful AML compliance program along the U.S. and Mexico border or timely implement the Monitor’s recommendations, each as determined by the Monitor, the State may pursue remedies under the Southwest Border Agreement and Amendment, including assessment of fines and civil and criminal actions. Such fines and actions could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
	United States Department of Justice Investigations
	On March 20, 2012, the Company was served with a federal grand jury subpoena issued by the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California ("USAO-CDCA") seeking documents relating to Shen Zhou International ("US Shen Zhou"), a former Western Union agent located in Monterey Park, California. The principal of US Shen Zhou was indicted in 2010 and in December 2013, pled guilty to one count of structuring international money transfers in violation of United States federal law in U.S. v. Zhi He Wang (SA CR 10-196, C.D. Cal.). Concurrent with the government's service of the subpoena, the government notified the Company that it is a target of an ongoing investigation into structuring and money laundering. Since March 20, 2012, the Company has received additional subpoenas from the USAO-CDCA seeking additional documents relating to US Shen Zhou, materials relating to certain other former and current agents and other materials relating to the Company's AML compliance policies and procedures. The government has interviewed several current and former Western Union employees and has served grand jury subpoenas seeking testimony from several current and former employees. The government's investigation is ongoing and the Company may receive additional requests for information as part of the investigation. The Company has provided and continues to provide information and documents to the government. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of the government's investigation, or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, which could be associated with the resolution of any possible criminal charges or civil claims that may be brought against the Company. Should such charges or claims be brought, the Company could face significant fines, damage awards or regulatory consequences which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
	In March 2012, the Company was served with a federal grand jury subpoena issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (“USAO-EDPA”) seeking documents relating to Hong Fai General Contractor Corp. (formerly known as Yong General Construction) (“Hong Fai”), a former Western Union agent located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since March 2012, the Company has received additional subpoenas from the USAO-EDPA seeking additional documents relating to Hong Fai. The government has interviewed several current Western Union employees. The government's investigation is ongoing and the Company may receive additional requests for information as part of the investigation. The Company has provided and continues to provide information and documents to the government. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of the government's investigation, or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, which could be associated with the resolution of any possible criminal charges or civil claims that may be brought against the Company. Should such charges or claims be brought, the Company could face significant fines, damage awards or regulatory consequences which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
	On November 25, 2013, the Company was served with a federal grand jury subpoena issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (“USAO-MDPA”) seeking documents relating to complaints made to the Company by consumers anywhere in the world relating to fraud-induced money transfers since January 1, 2008. Concurrent with the government's service of the subpoena, the government notified the Company that it is the subject of the investigation. Since November 25, 2013, the Company has received additional subpoenas from the USAO-MDPA seeking documents relating to certain Western Union agents and Western Union’s agent suspension and termination policies. The government's investigation is ongoing and the Company may receive additional requests for information as part of the investigation. The Company has provided and continues to provide information and documents to the government. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of the government's investigation, or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, which could be associated with the resolution of any possible criminal charges or civil claims that may be brought against the Company. Should such charges or claims be brought, the Company could face significant fines, damage awards or regulatory consequences which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
	On March 6, 2014, the Company was served with a federal grand jury subpoena issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (“USAO-SDFL”) seeking a variety of AML compliance materials, including documents relating to the Company’s AML, Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), Suspicious Activity Report (“SAR”) and Currency Transaction Report procedures, transaction monitoring protocols, BSA and AML training programs and publications, AML compliance investigation reports, compliance-related agent termination files, SARs, BSA audits, BSA and AML-related management reports and AML compliance staffing levels. The subpoena also calls for Board meeting minutes and organization charts. The period covered by the subpoena is January 1, 2007 to November 27, 2013. The Company has received additional subpoenas from the USAO-SDFL and the Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Office relating to the investigation, including a federal grand jury subpoena issued by the USAO-SDFL on March 14, 2014, seeking information about 33 agent locations in Costa Rica such as ownership and operating agreements, SARs and AML compliance and BSA filings for the period January 1, 2008 to November 27, 2013. Subsequently, the USAO-SDFL served the Company with seizure warrants requiring the Company to seize all money transfers sent from the United States to two agent locations located in Costa Rica for a 10-day period beginning in late March 2014. On July 8, 2014, the government served a grand jury subpoena calling for records relating to transactions sent from the United States to Nicaragua and Panama between September 1, 2013 and October 31, 2013. The government has also notified the Company that it is a target of the investigation. The investigation is ongoing and the Company may receive additional requests for information or seizure warrants as part of the investigation. The Company has provided and continues to provide information and documents to the government. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of the government's investigation, or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, which could be associated with the resolution of any possible criminal charges or civil claims that may be brought against the Company. Should such charges or claims be brought, the Company could face significant fines, damage awards or regulatory consequences which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
	Shareholder Action and Other Matters
	On December 10, 2013, City of Taylor Police and Fire Retirement System filed a purported class action complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado against The Western Union Company, its President and Chief Executive Officer and a former executive officer of the Company, asserting claims under sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Securities and Exchange Commission rule 10b-5 against all defendants. On September 26, 2014, the Court appointed SEB Asset Management S.A. and SEB Investment Management AB as lead plaintiffs. On October 27, 2014, lead plaintiffs filed a consolidated amended class action complaint, which asserts the same claims as the original complaint, except that it brings the claims under section 20(a) of the Exchange Act only against the individual defendants. The consolidated amended complaint also adds as a defendant another former executive officer of the Company. The consolidated amended complaint alleges that, during the purported class period, February 7, 2012 through October 30, 2012, defendants made false or misleading statements or failed to disclose adverse material facts known to them, including those regarding: (1) the competitive advantage the Company derived from its compliance program; (2) the Company’s ability to increase market share, make limited price adjustments and withstand competitive pressures; (3) the effect of compliance measures under the Southwest Border Agreement on agent retention and business in Mexico; and (4) the Company’s progress in implementing an anti-money laundering program for the Southwest Border Area. On December 11, 2014, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint. On January 5, 2015, plaintiffs filed an opposition to defendants’ motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint. On January 23, 2015, defendants filed a reply brief in support of their motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint. The Court referred the motion to a Magistrate Judge, who, on April 14, 2015, issued a report and recommendation, which recommends that the defendants’ motion to dismiss be granted and that the consolidated amended complaint be dismissed in full. On April 28, 2015, plaintiffs filed objections to the report and recommendation. This action is in a preliminary stage and the Company is unable to predict the outcome, or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, which could be associated with this action. The Company and the named individuals intend to vigorously defend themselves in this matter.
	The Company and one of its subsidiaries are defendants in two purported class action lawsuits: James P. Tennille v. The Western Union Company and Robert P. Smet v. The Western Union Company, both of which are pending in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The original complaints asserted claims for violation of various consumer protection laws, unjust enrichment, conversion and declaratory relief, based on allegations that the Company waits too long to inform consumers if their money transfers are not redeemed by the recipients and that the Company uses the unredeemed funds to generate income until the funds are escheated to state governments. The Tennille complaint was served on the Company on April 27, 2009. The Smet complaint was served on the Company on April 6, 2010. On September 21, 2009, the Court granted the Company's motion to dismiss the Tennille complaint and gave the plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint. On October 21, 2009, Tennille filed an amended complaint. The Company moved to dismiss the Tennille amended complaint and the Smet complaint. On November 8, 2010, the Court denied the motion to dismiss as to the plaintiffs' unjust enrichment and conversion claims. On February 4, 2011, the Court dismissed the plaintiffs' consumer protection claims. On March 11, 2011, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint that adds a claim for breach of fiduciary duty, various elements to its declaratory relief claim and WUFSI as a defendant. On April 25, 2011, the Company and WUFSI filed a motion to dismiss the breach of fiduciary duty and declaratory relief claims. WUFSI also moved to compel arbitration of the plaintiffs' claims and to stay the action pending arbitration. On November 21, 2011, the Court denied the motion to compel arbitration and the stay request. Both companies appealed the decision. On January 24, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted the companies' request to stay the District Court proceedings pending their appeal. During the fourth quarter of 2012, the parties executed a settlement agreement, which the Court preliminarily approved on January 3, 2013. On June 25, 2013, the Court entered an order certifying the class and granting final approval to the settlement. Under the approved settlement, a substantial amount of the settlement proceeds, as well as all of the class counsel’s fees, administrative fees and other expenses, would be paid from the class members' unclaimed money transfer funds, which are included within "Settlement obligations" in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the final approval hearing, the Court overruled objections to the settlement that had been filed by several class members. In July 2013, two of those class members filed notices of appeal. The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit heard oral arguments on March 18, 2014. The settlement requires Western Union to deposit the class members' unclaimed money transfer funds into a class settlement fund, from which class member claims, administrative fees and class counsel’s fees, as well as other expenses will be paid. On November 6, 2013, the Attorney General of California notified Western Union of the California Controller’s position that Western Union’s deposit of the unclaimed money transfer funds into the class settlement fund pursuant to the settlement “will not satisfy Western Union’s obligations to report and remit funds” under California’s unclaimed property law, and that “Western Union will remain liable to the State of California” for the funds that would have escheated to California in the absence of the settlement. The State of Pennsylvania and District of Columbia have expressed similar views. Thus, there is reason to believe that these and potentially other jurisdictions may bring actions against the Company seeking reimbursement for amounts equal to the class counsel’s fees, administrative costs and other expenses that are paid from the class settlement fund. If such actions are brought or claims that may otherwise require Western Union to incur additional escheatment-related liabilities are asserted, Western Union would defend itself vigorously.
	In August 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) served Paymap, Inc. (“Paymap”), a subsidiary of the Company which operates solely in the United States, with a civil investigative demand requesting information and documents about Paymap’s Equity Accelerator service, which is designed to help consumers pay off their mortgages more quickly. The CFPB’s investigation sought to determine whether Paymap’s marketing of the Equity Accelerator service violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s prohibition against unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices (“UDAAP”). The Company cooperated with the investigation. After reviewing information and documents provided by the Company, in August 2014, the CFPB advised the Company of its view that certain aspects of Paymap’s marketing violated UDAAP. The Company has advised the CFPB that it disagrees with the CFPB’s position. The Company is in discussions with the CFPB and is seeking to reach an appropriate resolution of this matter. Due to the nature of the discussions, the Company is unable to predict whether the CFPB will institute an enforcement action to bring any claims against the Company as a result of the investigation, or the possible range of loss, if any, which could be associated with this matter. However, should the CFPB institute an enforcement action against the Company, or if the Company enters into a settlement agreement with the CFPB, the Company could pay significant restitution payments to certain Equity Accelerator consumers and civil money penalties to the CFPB, and there could be regulatory consequences, any of which or combined could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
	On March 12, 2014, Jason Douglas filed a purported class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois asserting a claim under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227, et seq., based on allegations that since 2009, the Company has sent text messages to class members’ wireless telephones without their consent. During the first quarter of 2015, the Company's insurance carrier and the plaintiff reached an agreement, subject to the Court's approval, to create an $8.5 million settlement fund that will be used to pay all class member claims, class counsel’s fees and the costs of administering the settlement. The agreement is subject to memorialization in a definitive agreement. The Company has accrued an amount equal to the retention under its insurance policy and believes that any amounts in excess of this accrual will be covered by the insurer. However, if the Company's insurer is unable to or refuses to satisfy its obligations under the policy or the parties are unable to reach a definitive agreement or otherwise agree on a resolution, the Company's financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
	On January 26, 2006, the First Data Corporation ("First Data") Board of Directors announced its intention to pursue the distribution of all of its money transfer and consumer payments business and its interest in a Western Union money transfer agent, as well as its related assets, including real estate, through a tax-free distribution to First Data shareholders (the “Spin-off”). The Spin-off resulted in the formation of the Company and these assets and businesses no longer being part of First Data. Pursuant to the separation and distribution agreement with First Data in connection with the Spin-off, First Data and the Company are each liable for, and agreed to perform, all liabilities with respect to their respective businesses. In addition, the separation and distribution agreement also provides for cross-indemnities principally designed to place financial responsibility for the obligations and liabilities of the Company's business with the Company and financial responsibility for the obligations and liabilities of First Data's retained businesses with First Data. The Company also entered into a tax allocation agreement that sets forth the rights and obligations of First Data and the Company with respect to taxes imposed on their respective businesses both prior to and after the Spin-off as well as potential tax obligations for which the Company may be liable in conjunction with the Spin-off (see Note 11).

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Related Party Transactions
	The Company has ownership interests in certain of its agents accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The Company pays these agents commissions for money transfer and other services provided on the Company's behalf. Commission expense recognized for these agents for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 totaled $15.7 million and $15.9 million, respectively.

Settlement_Assets_and_Obligati

Settlement Assets and Obligations	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Settlement Asset and Obligations [Abstract]
Settlement Assets and Obligations	Settlement Assets and Obligations
	Settlement assets represent funds received or to be received from agents for unsettled money transfers, money orders and consumer payments. The Company records corresponding settlement obligations relating to amounts payable under money transfers, money orders and consumer payment service arrangements. Settlement assets and obligations also include amounts receivable from, and payable to, customers for the value of their cross-currency payment transactions related to the Business Solutions segment.
	Settlement assets and obligations consisted of the following (in millions):
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Settlement assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	583.3	$	834.3
	Receivables from selling agents and Business Solutions customers	1,032.20		1,006.90
	Investment securities	1,856.60		1,472.50
		$	3,472.10	$	3,313.70
	Settlement obligations:
	Money transfer, money order and payment service payables	$	2,537.00	$	2,356.70
	Payables to agents	935.1		957
		$	3,472.10	$	3,313.70
	Investment securities included in "Settlement assets" in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities, including fixed rate term notes, variable rate demand notes, and a short-term bond mutual fund. The short-term bond mutual fund can be redeemed daily and holds fixed income securities with combined average maturities of one year or less. Variable rate demand note securities can be put (sold at par) typically on a daily basis with settlement periods ranging from the same day to one week, but have varying maturities through 2054. Generally, these securities are used by the Company for short-term liquidity needs and are held for short periods of time, typically less than 30 days. The Company is required to hold highly-rated, investment grade securities and such investments are restricted to satisfy outstanding settlement obligations in accordance with applicable state and foreign country requirements.
	The substantial majority of the Company's investment securities are classified as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value. Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. Western Union regularly monitors credit risk and attempts to mitigate its exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and through investment diversification.
	Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are excluded from earnings and presented as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, net of related deferred taxes. Gains and losses on investments are calculated using the specific-identification method and are recognized during the period in which the investment is sold or when an investment experiences an other-than-temporary decline in value. Proceeds from the sale and maturity of available-for-sale securities during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were $3.3 billion and $4.6 billion, respectively.
	The components of investment securities are as follows (in millions):
	March 31, 2015	Amortized		Fair		Gross		Gross			Net
		Cost		Value		Unrealized		Unrealized			Unrealized
						Gains		Losses			Gains/(Losses)
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities (a)	$	1,082.80	$	1,098.10	$	16.8	$	(1.5	)	$	15.3
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	649.9		649.9		—		—			—
	Corporate and other debt securities	61.2		61.5		0.3		—			0.3
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		47.1		—		—			—
		$	1,841.00	$	1,856.60	$	17.1	$	(1.5	)	$	15.6
	December 31, 2014	Amortized		Fair		Gross		Gross			Net
		Cost		Value		Unrealized		Unrealized			Unrealized
						Gains		Losses			Gains/(Losses)
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities (a)	$	1,024.20	$	1,038.10	$	15.1	$	(1.2	)	$	13.9
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	316.8		316.8		—		—			—
	Corporate and other debt securities	70.5		70.5		0.1		(0.1		)	—
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		47.1		—		—			—
		$	1,458.60	$	1,472.50	$	15.2	$	(1.3	)	$	13.9
	____________________
	(a)	The majority of these securities are fixed-rate instruments.
	The following summarizes the contractual maturities of settlement-related debt securities as of March 31, 2015 (in millions):
		Fair
		Value
	Due within 1 year	$	182.2
	Due after 1 year through 5 years	544
	Due after 5 years through 10 years	461.8
	Due after 10 years	621.5
		$	1,809.50
	Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay the obligations or the Company may have the right to put the obligation prior to its contractual maturity, as with variable rate demand notes. Variable rate demand notes, having a fair value of $41.8 million and $608.1 million, are included in the "Due after 5 years through 10 years" and "Due after 10 years" categories, respectively, in the table above.

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	Stockholders' Equity
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss
	The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (in millions). All amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss affect the line items as indicated below within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Unrealized gains on investment securities, beginning of period	$	8.9		$	4.1
	Unrealized gains	2.3			7.1
	Tax expense	(0.9		)	(2.6		)
	Reclassification of gains into "Other revenues"	(0.6		)	(2.4		)
	Reclassification of gains into "Interest income"	—			(0.2		)
	Tax expense related to reclassifications	0.2			0.9
	Net unrealized gains on investment securities	1			2.8
	Unrealized gains on investment securities, end of period	$	9.9		$	6.9
	Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities, beginning of period	$	48.6		$	(33.0	)
	Unrealized gains	58.2			2.3
	Tax expense	(3.1		)	(1.9		)
	Reclassification of (gains)/losses into "Transaction fees"	(11.3		)	0.1
	Reclassification of gains into "Foreign exchange revenues"	(4.4		)	—
	Reclassification of losses into "Interest expense"	0.9			0.9
	Tax expense related to reclassifications	0.3			0.2
	Net unrealized gains on hedging activities	40.6			1.6
	Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities, end of period	$	89.2		$	(31.4	)
	Foreign currency translation adjustments, beginning of period	$	(49.2	)	$	(21.6	)
	Foreign currency translation adjustments	(2.6		)	(10.8		)
	Tax benefit	—			3.8
	Net foreign currency translation adjustments	(2.6		)	(7.0		)
	Foreign currency translation adjustments, end of period	$	(51.8	)	$	(28.6	)
	Defined benefit pension plan adjustments, beginning of period	$	(127.2	)	$	(118.5	)
	Reclassification of losses into "Cost of services"	2.9			2.6
	Tax benefit related to reclassifications and other	(1.1		)	(1.0		)
	Net defined benefit pension plan adjustments	1.8			1.6
	Defined benefit pension plan adjustments, end of period	$	(125.4	)	$	(116.9	)
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss, end of period	$	(78.1	)	$	(170.0	)
	Cash Dividends Paid
	During the first quarter of 2015 and 2014, the Company's Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.155 and $0.125 per common share, respectively, representing $80.5 million and $67.6 million in total dividends which were paid on March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Share Repurchases
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, 7.7 million and 10.9 million shares were repurchased for $150.0 million and $179.6 million, respectively, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $19.50 and $16.44 per share, respectively. These amounts represent shares authorized by the Board of Directors for repurchase under the publicly announced authorizations. As of March 31, 2015, $1,061.9 million remained available under the share repurchase authorization approved by the Company's Board of Directors through December 31, 2017. The amounts included in the "Common stock repurchased" line in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows represent both shares authorized by the Board of Directors for repurchase under the publicly announced authorizations as well as shares withheld from employees to cover tax withholding obligations on restricted stock units that have vested.

Employee_Benefit_Plan

Employee Benefit Plan	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plan	Employee Benefit Plan
	The Company has a frozen defined benefit pension plan (the "Plan") for which it had a recorded unfunded pension obligation of $69.7 million and $74.9 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, included in "Other liabilities" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
	The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit cost for the Plan (in millions):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Interest cost	$	2.9		$	3.4
	Expected return on plan assets	(5.1		)	(5.1		)
	Amortization of actuarial loss	2.9			2.6
	Net periodic benefit cost	$	0.7		$	0.9

Derivatives

Derivatives	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives	Derivatives
	The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates, primarily the euro, and to a lesser degree the Canadian dollar, British pound, Australian dollar, Swiss franc, and other currencies, related to forecasted money transfer revenues and on money transfer settlement assets and obligations. The Company is also exposed to risk from derivative contracts written to its customers arising from its cross-currency Business Solutions payments operations. Additionally, the Company is exposed to interest rate risk related to changes in market rates both prior to and subsequent to the issuance of debt. The Company uses derivatives to (a) minimize its exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates and (b) facilitate cross-currency Business Solutions payments by writing derivatives to customers.
	The Company executes derivatives with established financial institutions, with the substantial majority of these financial institutions having credit ratings of "A-" or better from a major credit rating agency. The Company also writes Business Solutions derivatives mostly with small and medium size enterprises. The primary credit risk inherent in derivative agreements represents the possibility that a loss may occur from the nonperformance of a counterparty to the agreements. The Company performs a review of the credit risk of these counterparties at the inception of the contract and on an ongoing basis. The Company also monitors the concentration of its contracts with any individual counterparty. The Company anticipates that the counterparties will be able to fully satisfy their obligations under the agreements, but takes action when doubt arises about the counterparties' ability to perform. These actions may include requiring Business Solutions customers to post or increase collateral, and for all counterparties, the possible termination of the related contracts. The Company's hedged foreign currency exposures are in liquid currencies; consequently, there is minimal risk that appropriate derivatives to maintain the hedging program would not be available in the future.
	Foreign Currency — Consumer-to-Consumer
	The Company's policy is to use longer-term foreign currency forward contracts, with maturities of up to 36 months at inception and a targeted weighted-average maturity of approximately one year, to mitigate some of the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates compared to the United States dollar could have on forecasted revenues denominated in other currencies related to its business. As of March 31, 2015, the Company's longer-term foreign currency forward contracts had maturities of a maximum of 24 months with a weighted-average maturity of approximately one year. These contracts are accounted for as cash flow hedges of forecasted revenue, with effectiveness assessed based on changes in the spot rate of the affected currencies during the period of designation. Accordingly, all changes in the fair value of the hedges not considered effective or portions of the hedge that are excluded from the measure of effectiveness are recognized immediately in "Derivative gains/(losses), net" within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
	The Company also uses short duration foreign currency forward contracts, generally with maturities from a few days up to one month, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations between initiation and settlement. In addition, forward contracts, typically with maturities of less than one year at inception, are utilized to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on certain foreign currency denominated cash and other asset and liability positions. None of these contracts are designated as accounting hedges.
	The aggregate equivalent United States dollar notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts as of March 31, 2015 were as follows (in millions):
	Contracts designated as hedges:
	Euro	$	382.3
	Canadian dollar	112.2
	British pound	82.6
	Australian dollar	51.4
	Swiss franc	43.3
	Other	93.4
	Contracts not designated as hedges:
	Euro	$	201.3
	British pound	67.2
	Canadian dollar	61.8
	Australian dollar	30.6
	Other (a)	162.6
	____________________
	(a)	Comprised of exposures to 20 different currencies. None of these individual currency exposures is greater than $25 million.
	Foreign Currency — Business Solutions
	The Company writes derivatives, primarily foreign currency forward contracts and option contracts, mostly with small and medium size enterprises and derives a currency spread from this activity as part of its Business Solutions operations. The Company aggregates its Business Solutions payments foreign currency exposures arising from customer contracts, including the derivative contracts described above, and hedges the resulting net currency risks by entering into offsetting contracts with established financial institution counterparties (economic hedge contracts). The derivatives written are part of the broader portfolio of foreign currency positions arising from its cross-currency payments operations, which primarily include spot exchanges of currency in addition to forwards and options. The resulting foreign exchange revenues from the total portfolio of positions comprise Business Solutions foreign exchange revenues. None of the derivative contracts used in Business Solutions operations are designated as accounting hedges. The duration of these derivative contracts at inception is generally less than one year.
	The aggregate equivalent United States dollar notional amounts of foreign currency derivative customer contracts held by the Company in its Business Solutions operations as of March 31, 2015 were approximately $5.5 billion. The significant majority of customer contracts are written in major currencies such as the Australian dollar, British pound, Canadian dollar, and euro.
	Interest Rate Hedging — Corporate
	The Company utilizes interest rate swaps to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The Company designates these derivatives as fair value hedges. The change in fair value of the interest rate swaps is offset by a change in the carrying value of the debt being hedged within "Borrowings" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income has been adjusted to include the effects of interest accrued on the swaps.
	The Company, at times, utilizes derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. These derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges of the variability in the fixed-rate coupon of the debt expected to be issued. The effective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recorded in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
	The Company held interest rate swaps in an aggregate notional amount of $975.0 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. Of this aggregate notional amount held at March 31, 2015, $500.0 million related to notes due in 2017, $300.0 million related to notes due in 2018, and $175.0 million related to notes due in 2020.
	Balance Sheet
	The following table summarizes the fair value of derivatives reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in millions):
		Derivative Assets										Derivative Liabilities
				Fair Value										Fair Value
		Balance Sheet		March 31,				December 31,				Balance Sheet		March 31,				December 31,
		Location		2015				2014				Location		2015				2014
	Derivatives — hedges:
	Interest rate fair value hedges — Corporate	Other assets		$	14.6			$	3.5			Other liabilities		$	0.8			$	1.9
	Foreign currency cash flow hedges — Consumer-to-Consumer	Other assets		108.5				66.1				Other liabilities		3.7				3.5
	Total			$	123.1			$	69.6					$	4.5			$	5.4
	Derivatives — undesignated:
	Foreign currency — Business Solutions	Other assets		$	549.6			$	349.4			Other liabilities		$	505.7			$	310.2
	Foreign currency — Consumer-to-Consumer	Other assets		3.7				4				Other liabilities		2.2				1.5
	Total			$	553.3			$	353.4					$	507.9			$	311.7
	Total derivatives			$	676.4			$	423					$	512.4			$	317.1
	The fair values of derivative assets and liabilities associated with contracts that include netting language that the Company believes to be enforceable have been netted in the following tables to present the Company's net exposure with these counterparties. The Company's rights under these agreements generally allow for transactions to be settled on a net basis, including upon early termination, which could occur upon the counterparty's default, a change in control, or other conditions.
	In addition, certain of the Company's other agreements include netting provisions, the enforceability of which may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and depending on the circumstances. Due to the uncertainty related to the enforceability of these provisions, the derivative balances associated with these agreements are included within "Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement" in the following tables. In certain circumstances, the Company may require its Business Solutions customers to maintain collateral balances which may mitigate the risk associated with potential customer defaults.
	The following tables summarize the gross and net fair value of derivative assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in millions):
	Offsetting of Derivative Assets
	March 31, 2015		Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts Presented in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Derivatives Not Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	411.8			$	—			$	411.8			$	(218.5	)		$	193.3
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		264.6
	Total		$	676.4
	December 31, 2014
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	255.1			$	—			$	255.1			$	(134.8	)		$	120.3
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		167.9
	Total		$	423
	Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities
	March 31, 2015		Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts Presented in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Derivatives Not Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	295.3			$	—			$	295.3			$	(218.5	)		$	76.8
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		217.1
	Total		$	512.4
	December 31, 2014
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	169.3			$	—			$	169.3			$	(134.8	)		$	34.5
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		147.8
Total		$	317.1
Income Statement
The following tables summarize the location and amount of gains and losses of derivatives in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income segregated by designated, qualifying hedging instruments and those that are not, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
Fair Value Hedges
The following table presents the location and amount of gains/(losses) from fair value hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
		Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives												Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Related Hedged Item (a)										Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on
																								Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)
		Income		Amount										Income		Amount								Income	Amount
		Statement												Statement										Statement Location
Derivatives		Location		March 31,				March 31,				Hedged  Item		Location		March 31,				March 31,					March 31, 2015			March 31, 2014
				2015				2014								2015				2014
Interest rate contracts		Interest  expense		$	10.9			$	3.8			Fixed-rate debt		Interest expense		$	(7.5	)		$	(0.3	)		Interest  expense	$	0.7		$	(0.2	)
Total gain/ (loss)				$	10.9			$	3.8							$	(7.5	)		$	(0.3	)			$	0.7		$	(0.2	)
Cash Flow Hedges
The following table presents the location and amount of gains/(losses) from cash flow hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
		Gain/(Loss) Recognized								Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from										Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on
		in OCI on Derivatives								Accumulated OCI into Income										Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount
		(Effective Portion)								(Effective Portion)										Excluded from Effectiveness Testing) (b)
		Amount								Income		Amount								Income		Amount
Derivatives		March 31, 2015				March 31, 2014				Statement Location		March 31, 2015				March 31, 2014				Statement Location		March 31, 2015			March 31, 2014
Foreign currency contracts		$	58.2			$	2.3			Revenue		$	15.7			$	(0.1	)		Derivative gains/(losses), net		$	(0.8	)	$	(0.6	)
Interest rate contracts (c)		—				—				Interest expense		(0.9		)		(0.9		)		Interest  expense		—			—
Total gain/(loss)		$	58.2			$	2.3					$	14.8			$	(1.0	)				$	(0.8	)	$	(0.6	)
Undesignated Hedges
The following table presents the location and amount of net gains/(losses) from undesignated hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
	Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (d)
	Income Statement Location		Amount
			Three Months Ended
			March 31,
Derivatives			2015				2014
Foreign currency contracts (e)	Selling, general and administrative		$	27.3			$	(1.6	)
Foreign currency contracts (f)	Derivative gains/(losses), net		1.8				—
Total gain/(loss)			$	29.1			$	(1.6	)
____________________
(a)	The loss of $7.5 million and $0.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, consisted of a loss in value on the debt of $11.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively, and amortization of hedge accounting adjustments of $4.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively.
(b)	The portion of the change in fair value of a derivative excluded from the effectiveness assessment for foreign currency forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges represents the difference between changes in forward rates and spot rates.
(c)	The Company uses derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt and records the effective portion of the derivative's fair value in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These amounts are reclassified to "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the life of the related notes.
(d)	The Company uses foreign currency forward and option contracts as part of its Business Solutions payments operations. These derivative contracts are excluded from this table as they are managed as part of a broader currency portfolio that includes non-derivative currency exposures. The gains and losses on these derivatives are included as part of the broader disclosure of portfolio revenue for this business discussed above.
(e)	The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations as well as certain foreign currency denominated positions. Foreign exchange losses on settlement assets and obligations and cash balances, not including amounts related to derivatives activity as displayed above and included in "Selling, general, and administrative" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, were $29.5 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
(f)	The derivative contracts used in the Company's revenue hedging program are not designated as hedges in the final month of the contract.
An accumulated other comprehensive pre-tax gain of $78.5 million related to the foreign currency forward contracts is expected to be reclassified into revenue within the next 12 months as of March 31, 2015. Approximately $3.6 million of net losses on the forecasted debt issuance hedges are expected to be recognized in "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income within the next 12 months as of March 31, 2015. No amounts have been reclassified into earnings as a result of the underlying transaction being considered probable of not occurring within the specified time period.

Borrowings

Borrowings	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Borrowings	Borrowings
	The Company's outstanding borrowings consisted of the following (in millions):
	Notes:	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
	Floating rate notes (effective rate of 1.3%) due 2015	$	250		$	250
	2.375% notes due 2015 (a)	250			250
	5.930% notes due 2016 (a)	1,000.00			1,000.00
	2.875% notes (effective rate of 2.0%) due 2017	500			500
	3.650% notes due 2018 (a)	400			400
	3.350% notes due 2019 (a)	250			250
	5.253% notes (effective rate of 4.6%) due 2020	324.9			324.9
	6.200% notes due 2036 (a)	500			500
	6.200% notes due 2040 (a)	250			250
	Other borrowings	5.6			5.6
	Total borrowings at par value	3,730.50			3,730.50
	Fair value hedge accounting adjustments, net (b)	12.8			5.3
	Unamortized discount, net	(14.7		)	(15.4		)
	Total borrowings at carrying value (c)	$	3,728.60		$	3,720.40
	____________________
	(a)	The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.
	(b)	The Company utilizes interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The changes in fair value of these interest rate swaps result in an offsetting hedge accounting adjustment recorded to the carrying value of the related note. These hedge accounting adjustments will be reclassified as reductions to or increases in "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the life of the related notes, and cause the effective rate of interest to differ from the notes' stated rate.
	(c)	As of March 31, 2015, the Company's weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.4%.
	The following summarizes the Company's maturities of borrowings at par value as of March 31, 2015 (in millions):
	Due within 1 year	$	500
	Due after 1 year through 2 years	1,005.60
	Due after 2 years through 3 years	500
	Due after 3 years through 4 years	400
	Due after 4 years through 5 years	250
	Due after 5 years	1,074.90
	The Company's obligations with respect to its outstanding Notes, as described above, rank equally.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes
	The Company's effective tax rates on pre-tax income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were 12.3% and 10.7%, respectively. The increase in the Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 is primarily due to the combined effect of discrete items, including those related to foreign currency fluctuations on certain income tax attributes which lowered the Company's effective tax rate in 2014, partially offset by various tax planning benefits affecting 2015. For the year ended December 31, 2014, 96% of the Company's pre-tax income was derived from foreign sources, and the Company currently expects that approximately 98% of the Company's pre-tax income will be derived from foreign sources for the year ending December 31, 2015. Certain portions of the Company's foreign source income are subject to United States federal and state income tax as earned due to the nature of the income, and dividend repatriations of the Company's foreign source income are generally subject to United States federal and state income tax.
	Uncertain Tax Positions
	The Company has established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. The Company's tax reserves reflect management's judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While the Company believes its reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed its related reserve. With respect to these reserves, the Company's income tax expense would include (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes during the period in the facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue and (ii) any difference from the Company's tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in the Company's consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact operating cash flows.
	Unrecognized tax benefits represent the aggregate tax effect of differences between tax return positions and the amounts otherwise recognized in the Company's consolidated financial statements, and are reflected in "Income taxes payable" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 was $99.1 million and $93.4 million, respectively, excluding interest and penalties. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate was $86.0 million and $82.4 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, excluding interest and penalties.
	The Company recognizes interest and penalties with respect to unrecognized tax benefits in "Provision for income taxes" in its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, and records the associated liability in "Income taxes payable" in its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recognized immaterial amounts of interest and penalties during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The Company has accrued $15.2 million and $15.1 million for the payment of interest and penalties as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.
	The unrecognized tax benefits accrual as of March 31, 2015 consists of federal, state and foreign tax matters. It is reasonably possible that the Company's total unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by approximately $27 million during the next 12 months in connection with various matters which may be resolved.
	The Company and its subsidiaries file tax returns for the United States, for multiple states and localities, and for various non-United States jurisdictions, and the Company has identified the United States as its major tax jurisdiction, as the income tax imposed by any one foreign country is not material to the Company. The United States federal income tax returns of First Data, which include the Company, are eligible to be examined for 2005 and 2006. The Company's United States federal income tax returns since the Spin-off are also eligible to be examined.
	The United States Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") completed its examination of the United States federal consolidated income tax returns of First Data for 2003 and 2004, which included the Company, and issued a Notice of Deficiency in December 2008. In December 2011, the Company reached an agreement with the IRS resolving substantially all of the issues related to the Company's restructuring of its international operations in 2003 ("IRS Agreement"). As a result of the IRS Agreement, the Company expects to make cash payments of approximately $190 million, plus additional accrued interest, of which $94.1 million has been paid as of March 31, 2015. The Company expects to pay the remaining amount in 2015 and beyond. The IRS completed its examination of the United States federal consolidated income tax returns of First Data, which include the Company's 2005 and pre-Spin-off 2006 taxable periods and issued its report on October 31, 2012 ("FDC 30-Day Letter"). Furthermore, the IRS completed its examination of the Company's United States federal consolidated income tax returns for the 2006 post-Spin-off period through 2009 and issued its report also on October 31, 2012 ("WU 30-Day Letter"). Both the FDC 30-Day Letter and the WU 30-Day Letter propose tax adjustments affecting the Company, some of which are agreed and some of which are unagreed. Both First Data and the Company filed their respective protests with the IRS Appeals Division on November 28, 2012 related to the unagreed proposed adjustments. Discussions with the IRS concerning these adjustments are ongoing. The Company believes its reserves are adequate with respect to both the agreed and unagreed adjustments.
	As of March 31, 2015, no provision has been made for United States federal and state income taxes on certain of the Company's outside tax basis differences, which primarily relate to accumulated foreign earnings of approximately $5.7 billion, which have been reinvested and are expected to continue to be reinvested outside the United States indefinitely. Over the last several years, such earnings have been used to pay for the Company's international acquisitions and operations and provide initial Company funding of global principal payouts for Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions transactions. Upon distribution of those earnings to the United States in the form of actual or constructive dividends, the Company would be subject to United States income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits), state income taxes and possible withholding taxes payable to various foreign countries. Such taxes could be significant. Determination of this amount of unrecognized United States deferred tax liability is not practicable because of the complexities associated with its hypothetical calculation.
	Tax Allocation Agreement with First Data
	The Company and First Data each are liable for taxes imposed on their respective businesses both prior to and after the Spin-off. If such taxes have not been appropriately apportioned between First Data and the Company, subsequent adjustments may occur that may impact the Company's financial condition or results of operations.
	Also under the tax allocation agreement, with respect to taxes and other liabilities that result from a final determination that is inconsistent with the anticipated tax consequences of the Spin-off (as set forth in the private letter ruling and relevant tax opinion) ("Spin-off Related Taxes"), the Company will be liable to First Data for any such Spin-off Related Taxes attributable solely to actions taken by or with respect to the Company. In addition, the Company will also be liable for half of any Spin-off Related Taxes (i) that would not have been imposed but for the existence of both an action by the Company and an action by First Data or (ii) where the Company and First Data each take actions that, standing alone, would have resulted in the imposition of such Spin-off Related Taxes. The Company may be similarly liable if it breaches certain representations or covenants set forth in the tax allocation agreement. If the Company is required to indemnify First Data for taxes incurred as a result of the Spin-off being taxable to First Data, it likely would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. First Data generally will be liable for all Spin-off Related Taxes, other than those described above.

Stock_Compensation_Plans

Stock Compensation Plans	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock Compensation Plans	Stock Compensation Plans
	For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $11.7 million and $11.3 million, respectively, resulting from stock options, restricted stock units, performance-based restricted stock units and bonus stock units in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company granted 1.0 million options at a weighted-average exercise price of $19.29, 2.0 million restricted stock units at a weighted-average grant date fair value of $17.85, and 0.6 million performance-based restricted stock units (based on targeted performance) at a weighted-average grant date fair value of $17.66. The majority of share unit grants do not provide for the payment of dividend equivalents. For those grants, the value of the grants is reduced by the net present value of the foregone dividend equivalent payments. As of March 31, 2015, the Company had 15.0 million outstanding options at a weighted-average exercise price of $18.11 and 11.7 million options exercisable at a weighted-average exercise price of $18.62. The Company had 8.0 million non-vested restricted stock units at a weighted-average grant date fair value of $15.35 as of March 31, 2015.
	The restricted stock units typically vest over four equal annual increments beginning 12 months after the date of grant. Restricted stock units granted prior to 2014 typically become 100% vested on the three year anniversary of the grant date. Restricted stock units granted to retirement eligible employees generally vest on a prorated basis upon termination. The fair value of the awards granted is measured based on the fair value of the shares on the date of grant.
	The performance-based restricted stock units granted in 2015 are restricted stock units, primarily granted to the Company's executives and consist of two separate awards. The first award consists of performance-based restricted stock units, which require the Company to meet certain financial objectives during 2015, 2016 and 2017. The second award consists of performance-based restricted stock units with a market condition tied to the Company's total shareholder return in relation to the S&P 500 index as calculated over a three-year performance period (2015 through 2017). The actual number of performance-based restricted stock units that the recipients will receive for both 2015 awards will range from 0% up to 150% of the target number of stock units granted based on actual financial and total shareholder return performance results. The grant date fair value of the performance-based restricted stock units is fixed and the amount of restricted stock units that will ultimately vest depends upon the level of achievement of the performance and market conditions over the performance period. The fair value of the performance-based restricted stock units that are tied solely to performance conditions is measured similar to the restricted stock units discussed above, while the fair value of the performance-based restricted stock units that are tied to a market condition is determined using the Monte-Carlo simulation model. Unlike the performance-based awards that are tied solely to performance conditions, compensation costs related to awards with market conditions are recognized regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied, provided that the requisite service period has been completed.
	Options granted in 2015, primarily to the Company's executives, were issued with exercise prices equal to the fair market value of Western Union common stock on the grant date, have 10-year terms, and typically vest over four equal annual increments beginning 12 months after the date of grant, with the exception of options granted to retirement eligible employees, which generally will vest on a prorated basis, upon termination. The Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of the options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2015 using assumptions materially consistent with those disclosed in the Company's consolidated financial statements within the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Segments

Segments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segments	Segments
	As previously described in Note 1, the Company classifies its businesses into three segments: Consumer-to-Consumer, Consumer-to-Business and Business Solutions. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities, about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the Company's chief operating decision maker in deciding where to allocate resources and in assessing performance.
	The Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers between two consumers. The Company's money transfer service is viewed by the Company as one interconnected global network where a money transfer can be sent from one location to another, around the world. The segment includes five geographic regions whose functions are limited to generating, managing and maintaining agent relationships and localized marketing activities, and also includes the Company's online money transfer service conducted through Western Union branded websites ("westernunion.com"). By means of common processes and systems, these regions and westernunion.com create an interconnected network for consumer transactions, thereby constituting one global Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer business and one operating segment.
	The Consumer-to-Business operating segment facilitates bill payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations, including utilities, auto finance companies, mortgage servicers, financial service providers, government agencies and other businesses.
	The Business Solutions operating segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals.
	All businesses that have not been classified in the above segments are reported as "Other" and include the Company's money order and other services.
	The following table presents the Company's reportable segment results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015		2014
	Revenues:
	Consumer-to-Consumer:
	Transaction fees	$	776.2	$	825.6
	Foreign exchange revenues	244.1		236
	Other revenues	18		15.9
		1,038.30		1,077.50
	Consumer-to-Business:
	Transaction fees	151.4		140.7
	Foreign exchange and other revenues	6.4		6.5
		157.8		147.2
	Business Solutions:
	Foreign exchange revenues	87.9		90.4
	Transaction fees and other revenues	10.1		9
		98		99.4
	Other:
	Total revenues	26.8		26.7
	Total consolidated revenues	$	1,320.90	$	1,350.80
	Operating income/(loss):
	Consumer-to-Consumer	$	240.2	$	247
	Consumer-to-Business	29.5		29.8
	Business Solutions	2.1		(3.6		)
	Other	0.5		(1.2		)
	Total consolidated operating income	$	272.3	$	272

Business_and_Basis_of_Presenta1

Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and were prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In compliance with those instructions, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted.
	The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this quarterly report are presented on a consolidated basis and include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. Results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts were eliminated as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
	In the opinion of management, these condensed consolidated financial statements include all the normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the Company's condensed consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows as of March 31, 2015 and for all periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements within the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	Consistent with industry practice, the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets are unclassified due to the short-term nature of the Company's settlement obligations contrasted with the Company's ability to invest cash awaiting settlement in long-term investment securities.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncement	New Accounting Pronouncement
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new accounting pronouncement regarding revenue from contracts with customers. This new standard provides guidance on recognizing revenue, including a five step model to determine when revenue recognition is appropriate. The standard requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board proposed to defer the effective date of the standard by one year and to permit early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this standard will have on the Company's financial position, results of operations, and related disclosures.
Earnings Per Share	The calculation of basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested, using the treasury stock method. The treasury stock method assumes proceeds from the exercise price of stock options, the unamortized compensation expense and assumed tax benefits of options and restricted stock are available to acquire shares at an average market price throughout the period, and therefore, reduce the dilutive effect.
Investment Securities	Investment securities included in "Settlement assets" in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities, including fixed rate term notes, variable rate demand notes, and a short-term bond mutual fund. The short-term bond mutual fund can be redeemed daily and holds fixed income securities with combined average maturities of one year or less. Variable rate demand note securities can be put (sold at par) typically on a daily basis with settlement periods ranging from the same day to one week, but have varying maturities through 2054. Generally, these securities are used by the Company for short-term liquidity needs and are held for short periods of time, typically less than 30 days. The Company is required to hold highly-rated, investment grade securities and such investments are restricted to satisfy outstanding settlement obligations in accordance with applicable state and foreign country requirements.
	The substantial majority of the Company's investment securities are classified as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value. Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. Western Union regularly monitors credit risk and attempts to mitigate its exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and through investment diversification.
	Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are excluded from earnings and presented as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, net of related deferred taxes. Gains and losses on investments are calculated using the specific-identification method and are recognized during the period in which the investment is sold or when an investment experiences an other-than-temporary decline in value. Proceeds from the sale and maturity of available-for-sale securities during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were $3.3 billion and $4.6 billion, respectively.
Foreign Currency -- Consumer-to-Consumer	Foreign Currency — Consumer-to-Consumer
	The Company's policy is to use longer-term foreign currency forward contracts, with maturities of up to 36 months at inception and a targeted weighted-average maturity of approximately one year, to mitigate some of the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates compared to the United States dollar could have on forecasted revenues denominated in other currencies related to its business. As of March 31, 2015, the Company's longer-term foreign currency forward contracts had maturities of a maximum of 24 months with a weighted-average maturity of approximately one year. These contracts are accounted for as cash flow hedges of forecasted revenue, with effectiveness assessed based on changes in the spot rate of the affected currencies during the period of designation. Accordingly, all changes in the fair value of the hedges not considered effective or portions of the hedge that are excluded from the measure of effectiveness are recognized immediately in "Derivative gains/(losses), net" within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
	The Company also uses short duration foreign currency forward contracts, generally with maturities from a few days up to one month, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations between initiation and settlement. In addition, forward contracts, typically with maturities of less than one year at inception, are utilized to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on certain foreign currency denominated cash and other asset and liability positions. None of these contracts are designated as accounting hedges.
Foreign Currency -- Business Solutions	Foreign Currency — Business Solutions
	The Company writes derivatives, primarily foreign currency forward contracts and option contracts, mostly with small and medium size enterprises and derives a currency spread from this activity as part of its Business Solutions operations. The Company aggregates its Business Solutions payments foreign currency exposures arising from customer contracts, including the derivative contracts described above, and hedges the resulting net currency risks by entering into offsetting contracts with established financial institution counterparties (economic hedge contracts). The derivatives written are part of the broader portfolio of foreign currency positions arising from its cross-currency payments operations, which primarily include spot exchanges of currency in addition to forwards and options. The resulting foreign exchange revenues from the total portfolio of positions comprise Business Solutions foreign exchange revenues. None of the derivative contracts used in Business Solutions operations are designated as accounting hedges. The duration of these derivative contracts at inception is generally less than one year.
Interest Rate Hedging -- Corporate	Interest Rate Hedging — Corporate
	The Company utilizes interest rate swaps to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The Company designates these derivatives as fair value hedges. The change in fair value of the interest rate swaps is offset by a change in the carrying value of the debt being hedged within "Borrowings" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income has been adjusted to include the effects of interest accrued on the swaps.
	The Company, at times, utilizes derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. These derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges of the variability in the fixed-rate coupon of the debt expected to be issued. The effective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recorded in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	The following table provides the calculation of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in millions):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015	2014
	Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	521	545.9
	Common stock equivalents	4.2	3.3
	Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	525.2	549.2

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value measurements of assets and liabilities	The following tables reflect assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in millions):
		Fair Value Measurement Using						Assets/
								Liabilities at
								Fair
	March 31, 2015	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Value
	Assets:
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities	$	—	$	1,098.10	$	—	$	1,098.10
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	—		649.9		—		649.9
	Corporate and other debt securities	—		61.5		—		61.5
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		—		—		47.1
	Other assets:
	Derivatives	—		676.4		—		676.4
	Total assets	$	47.1	$	2,485.90	$	—	$	2,533.00
	Liabilities:
	Notes and other borrowings	$	—	$	3,910.70	$	—	$	3,910.70
	Derivatives	—		512.4		—		512.4
	Total liabilities	$	—	$	4,423.10	$	—	$	4,423.10
		Fair Value Measurement Using						Assets/
								Liabilities at
								Fair
	December 31, 2014	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Value
	Assets:
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities	$	—	$	1,038.10	$	—	$	1,038.10
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	—		316.8		—		316.8
	Corporate and other debt securities	—		70.5		—		70.5
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		—		—		47.1
	Other assets:
	Derivatives	—		423		—		423
	Total assets	$	47.1	$	1,848.40	$	—	$	1,895.50
	Liabilities:
	Notes and other borrowings	$	—	$	3,890.50	$	—	$	3,890.50
	Derivatives	—		317.1		—		317.1
	Total liabilities	$	—	$	4,207.60	$	—	$	4,207.60

Settlement_Assets_and_Obligati1

Settlement Assets and Obligations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Settlement Asset and Obligations [Abstract]
Settlement Assets and Obligations	Settlement assets and obligations consisted of the following (in millions):
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Settlement assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	583.3	$	834.3
	Receivables from selling agents and Business Solutions customers	1,032.20		1,006.90
	Investment securities	1,856.60		1,472.50
		$	3,472.10	$	3,313.70
	Settlement obligations:
	Money transfer, money order and payment service payables	$	2,537.00	$	2,356.70
	Payables to agents	935.1		957
		$	3,472.10	$	3,313.70
Components of investment securities	The components of investment securities are as follows (in millions):
	March 31, 2015	Amortized		Fair		Gross		Gross			Net
		Cost		Value		Unrealized		Unrealized			Unrealized
						Gains		Losses			Gains/(Losses)
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities (a)	$	1,082.80	$	1,098.10	$	16.8	$	(1.5	)	$	15.3
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	649.9		649.9		—		—			—
	Corporate and other debt securities	61.2		61.5		0.3		—			0.3
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		47.1		—		—			—
		$	1,841.00	$	1,856.60	$	17.1	$	(1.5	)	$	15.6
	December 31, 2014	Amortized		Fair		Gross		Gross			Net
		Cost		Value		Unrealized		Unrealized			Unrealized
						Gains		Losses			Gains/(Losses)
	Settlement assets:
	State and municipal debt securities (a)	$	1,024.20	$	1,038.10	$	15.1	$	(1.2	)	$	13.9
	State and municipal variable rate demand notes	316.8		316.8		—		—			—
	Corporate and other debt securities	70.5		70.5		0.1		(0.1		)	—
	Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		47.1		—		—			—
		$	1,458.60	$	1,472.50	$	15.2	$	(1.3	)	$	13.9
	____________________
	(a)	The majority of these securities are fixed-rate instruments.
Contractual maturities of investment securities	The following summarizes the contractual maturities of settlement-related debt securities as of March 31, 2015 (in millions):
		Fair
		Value
	Due within 1 year	$	182.2
	Due after 1 year through 5 years	544
	Due after 5 years through 10 years	461.8
	Due after 10 years	621.5
		$	1,809.50

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (in millions). All amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss affect the line items as indicated below within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Unrealized gains on investment securities, beginning of period	$	8.9		$	4.1
	Unrealized gains	2.3			7.1
	Tax expense	(0.9		)	(2.6		)
	Reclassification of gains into "Other revenues"	(0.6		)	(2.4		)
	Reclassification of gains into "Interest income"	—			(0.2		)
	Tax expense related to reclassifications	0.2			0.9
	Net unrealized gains on investment securities	1			2.8
	Unrealized gains on investment securities, end of period	$	9.9		$	6.9
	Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities, beginning of period	$	48.6		$	(33.0	)
	Unrealized gains	58.2			2.3
	Tax expense	(3.1		)	(1.9		)
	Reclassification of (gains)/losses into "Transaction fees"	(11.3		)	0.1
	Reclassification of gains into "Foreign exchange revenues"	(4.4		)	—
	Reclassification of losses into "Interest expense"	0.9			0.9
	Tax expense related to reclassifications	0.3			0.2
	Net unrealized gains on hedging activities	40.6			1.6
	Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities, end of period	$	89.2		$	(31.4	)
	Foreign currency translation adjustments, beginning of period	$	(49.2	)	$	(21.6	)
	Foreign currency translation adjustments	(2.6		)	(10.8		)
	Tax benefit	—			3.8
	Net foreign currency translation adjustments	(2.6		)	(7.0		)
	Foreign currency translation adjustments, end of period	$	(51.8	)	$	(28.6	)
	Defined benefit pension plan adjustments, beginning of period	$	(127.2	)	$	(118.5	)
	Reclassification of losses into "Cost of services"	2.9			2.6
	Tax benefit related to reclassifications and other	(1.1		)	(1.0		)
	Net defined benefit pension plan adjustments	1.8			1.6
	Defined benefit pension plan adjustments, end of period	$	(125.4	)	$	(116.9	)
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss, end of period	$	(78.1	)	$	(170.0	)

Employee_Benefit_Plan_Tables

Employee Benefit Plan (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of net periodic benefit cost for the Plan	The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit cost for the Plan (in millions):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Interest cost	$	2.9		$	3.4
	Expected return on plan assets	(5.1		)	(5.1		)
	Amortization of actuarial loss	2.9			2.6
	Net periodic benefit cost	$	0.7		$	0.9

Derivatives_Tables

Derivatives (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts	The aggregate equivalent United States dollar notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts as of March 31, 2015 were as follows (in millions):
	Contracts designated as hedges:
	Euro	$	382.3
	Canadian dollar	112.2
	British pound	82.6
	Australian dollar	51.4
	Swiss franc	43.3
	Other	93.4
	Contracts not designated as hedges:
	Euro	$	201.3
	British pound	67.2
	Canadian dollar	61.8
	Australian dollar	30.6
	Other (a)	162.6
	____________________
	(a)	Comprised of exposures to 20 different currencies. None of these individual currency exposures is greater than $25 million.
Fair value of derivatives	The following table summarizes the fair value of derivatives reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in millions):
		Derivative Assets										Derivative Liabilities
				Fair Value										Fair Value
		Balance Sheet		March 31,				December 31,				Balance Sheet		March 31,				December 31,
		Location		2015				2014				Location		2015				2014
	Derivatives — hedges:
	Interest rate fair value hedges — Corporate	Other assets		$	14.6			$	3.5			Other liabilities		$	0.8			$	1.9
	Foreign currency cash flow hedges — Consumer-to-Consumer	Other assets		108.5				66.1				Other liabilities		3.7				3.5
	Total			$	123.1			$	69.6					$	4.5			$	5.4
	Derivatives — undesignated:
	Foreign currency — Business Solutions	Other assets		$	549.6			$	349.4			Other liabilities		$	505.7			$	310.2
	Foreign currency — Consumer-to-Consumer	Other assets		3.7				4				Other liabilities		2.2				1.5
	Total			$	553.3			$	353.4					$	507.9			$	311.7
	Total derivatives			$	676.4			$	423					$	512.4			$	317.1
Gross and net fair value of derivative assets and liabilities	The following tables summarize the gross and net fair value of derivative assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in millions):
	Offsetting of Derivative Assets
	March 31, 2015		Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts Presented in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Derivatives Not Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	411.8			$	—			$	411.8			$	(218.5	)		$	193.3
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		264.6
	Total		$	676.4
	December 31, 2014
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	255.1			$	—			$	255.1			$	(134.8	)		$	120.3
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		167.9
	Total		$	423
	Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities
	March 31, 2015		Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts Presented in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Derivatives Not Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets				Net Amounts
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	295.3			$	—			$	295.3			$	(218.5	)		$	76.8
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		217.1
	Total		$	512.4
	December 31, 2014
	Derivatives subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement		$	169.3			$	—			$	169.3			$	(134.8	)		$	34.5
	Derivatives that are not or may not be subject to master netting arrangement or similar agreement		147.8
	Total		$	317.1
Location and amount of gains/(losses) from hedging activities	Fair Value Hedges
	The following table presents the location and amount of gains/(losses) from fair value hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
			Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives												Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Related Hedged Item (a)										Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on
																									Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)
			Income		Amount										Income		Amount								Income	Amount
			Statement												Statement										Statement Location
	Derivatives		Location		March 31,				March 31,				Hedged  Item		Location		March 31,				March 31,					March 31, 2015			March 31, 2014
					2015				2014								2015				2014
	Interest rate contracts		Interest  expense		$	10.9			$	3.8			Fixed-rate debt		Interest expense		$	(7.5	)		$	(0.3	)		Interest  expense	$	0.7		$	(0.2	)
	Total gain/ (loss)				$	10.9			$	3.8							$	(7.5	)		$	(0.3	)			$	0.7		$	(0.2	)
	Cash Flow Hedges
	The following table presents the location and amount of gains/(losses) from cash flow hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
			Gain/(Loss) Recognized								Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from										Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on
			in OCI on Derivatives								Accumulated OCI into Income										Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount
			(Effective Portion)								(Effective Portion)										Excluded from Effectiveness Testing) (b)
			Amount								Income		Amount								Income		Amount
	Derivatives		March 31, 2015				March 31, 2014				Statement Location		March 31, 2015				March 31, 2014				Statement Location		March 31, 2015			March 31, 2014
	Foreign currency contracts		$	58.2			$	2.3			Revenue		$	15.7			$	(0.1	)		Derivative gains/(losses), net		$	(0.8	)	$	(0.6	)
	Interest rate contracts (c)		—				—				Interest expense		(0.9		)		(0.9		)		Interest  expense		—			—
	Total gain/(loss)		$	58.2			$	2.3					$	14.8			$	(1.0	)				$	(0.8	)	$	(0.6	)
	Undesignated Hedges
	The following table presents the location and amount of net gains/(losses) from undesignated hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
		Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (d)
		Income Statement Location		Amount
				Three Months Ended
				March 31,
	Derivatives			2015				2014
	Foreign currency contracts (e)	Selling, general and administrative		$	27.3			$	(1.6	)
	Foreign currency contracts (f)	Derivative gains/(losses), net		1.8				—
	Total gain/(loss)			$	29.1			$	(1.6	)
	____________________
	(a)	The loss of $7.5 million and $0.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, consisted of a loss in value on the debt of $11.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively, and amortization of hedge accounting adjustments of $4.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively.
	(b)	The portion of the change in fair value of a derivative excluded from the effectiveness assessment for foreign currency forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges represents the difference between changes in forward rates and spot rates.
	(c)	The Company uses derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt and records the effective portion of the derivative's fair value in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These amounts are reclassified to "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the life of the related notes.
	(d)	The Company uses foreign currency forward and option contracts as part of its Business Solutions payments operations. These derivative contracts are excluded from this table as they are managed as part of a broader currency portfolio that includes non-derivative currency exposures. The gains and losses on these derivatives are included as part of the broader disclosure of portfolio revenue for this business discussed above.
	(e)	The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations as well as certain foreign currency denominated positions. Foreign exchange losses on settlement assets and obligations and cash balances, not including amounts related to derivatives activity as displayed above and included in "Selling, general, and administrative" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, were $29.5 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	(f)	The derivative contracts used in the Company's revenue hedging program are not designated as hedges in the final month of the contract.

Borrowings_Tables

Borrowings (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Borrowings	The Company's outstanding borrowings consisted of the following (in millions):
	Notes:	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
	Floating rate notes (effective rate of 1.3%) due 2015	$	250		$	250
	2.375% notes due 2015 (a)	250			250
	5.930% notes due 2016 (a)	1,000.00			1,000.00
	2.875% notes (effective rate of 2.0%) due 2017	500			500
	3.650% notes due 2018 (a)	400			400
	3.350% notes due 2019 (a)	250			250
	5.253% notes (effective rate of 4.6%) due 2020	324.9			324.9
	6.200% notes due 2036 (a)	500			500
	6.200% notes due 2040 (a)	250			250
	Other borrowings	5.6			5.6
	Total borrowings at par value	3,730.50			3,730.50
	Fair value hedge accounting adjustments, net (b)	12.8			5.3
	Unamortized discount, net	(14.7		)	(15.4		)
	Total borrowings at carrying value (c)	$	3,728.60		$	3,720.40
	____________________
	(a)	The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.
	(b)	The Company utilizes interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The changes in fair value of these interest rate swaps result in an offsetting hedge accounting adjustment recorded to the carrying value of the related note. These hedge accounting adjustments will be reclassified as reductions to or increases in "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the life of the related notes, and cause the effective rate of interest to differ from the notes' stated rate.
	(c)	As of March 31, 2015, the Company's weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.4%.
Borrowings maturities	The following summarizes the Company's maturities of borrowings at par value as of March 31, 2015 (in millions):
	Due within 1 year	$	500
	Due after 1 year through 2 years	1,005.60
	Due after 2 years through 3 years	500
	Due after 3 years through 4 years	400
	Due after 4 years through 5 years	250
	Due after 5 years	1,074.90

Segments_Tables

Segments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment results	The following table presents the Company's reportable segment results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015		2014
	Revenues:
	Consumer-to-Consumer:
	Transaction fees	$	776.2	$	825.6
	Foreign exchange revenues	244.1		236
	Other revenues	18		15.9
		1,038.30		1,077.50
	Consumer-to-Business:
	Transaction fees	151.4		140.7
	Foreign exchange and other revenues	6.4		6.5
		157.8		147.2
	Business Solutions:
	Foreign exchange revenues	87.9		90.4
	Transaction fees and other revenues	10.1		9
		98		99.4
	Other:
	Total revenues	26.8		26.7
	Total consolidated revenues	$	1,320.90	$	1,350.80
	Operating income/(loss):
	Consumer-to-Consumer	$	240.2	$	247
	Consumer-to-Business	29.5		29.8
	Business Solutions	2.1		(3.6		)
	Other	0.5		(1.2		)
	Total consolidated operating income	$	272.3	$	272

Business_and_Basis_of_Presenta2

Business and Basis of Presentation (Details Numeric) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Entity Location [Line Items]
Net assets subject to limitations	$310
Minimum [Member]
Entity Location [Line Items]
Number of countries and territories where services are primarily available through a network of agent locations	200

Earnings_Per_Share_Details

Earnings Per Share (Details)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted [Abstract]
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	521	545.9
Common stock equivalents	4.2	3.3
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	525.2	549.2

Earnings_Per_Share_Details_Num

Earnings Per Share (Details Numeric)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Anti-dilutive outstanding options excluded from diluted EPS calculation	8.9	18.4

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Assets [Abstract]
Derivatives	$676.40		$423
Liabilities [Abstract]:
Derivatives	512.4		317.1
Fair Value Measurements (Numeric) [Abstract]
Total borrowings at carrying value	3,728.60	[1]	3,720.40
Recurring [Member]
Settlement Assets [Abstract]
State and municipal debt securities	1,098.10		1,038.10
State and municipal variable rate demand notes	649.9		316.8
Corporate and other debt securities	61.5		70.5
Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		47.1
Other Assets [Abstract]
Derivatives	676.4		423
Total assets	2,533		1,895.50
Liabilities [Abstract]:
Notes and other borrowings	3,910.70		3,890.50
Derivatives	512.4		317.1
Total liabilities	4,423.10		4,207.60
Recurring [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Settlement Assets [Abstract]
State and municipal debt securities	0		0
State and municipal variable rate demand notes	0		0
Corporate and other debt securities	0		0
Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	47.1		47.1
Other Assets [Abstract]
Derivatives	0		0
Total assets	47.1		47.1
Liabilities [Abstract]:
Notes and other borrowings	0		0
Derivatives	0		0
Total liabilities	0		0
Recurring [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Settlement Assets [Abstract]
State and municipal debt securities	1,098.10		1,038.10
State and municipal variable rate demand notes	649.9		316.8
Corporate and other debt securities	61.5		70.5
Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	0		0
Other Assets [Abstract]
Derivatives	676.4		423
Total assets	2,485.90		1,848.40
Liabilities [Abstract]:
Notes and other borrowings	3,910.70		3,890.50
Derivatives	512.4		317.1
Total liabilities	4,423.10		4,207.60
Recurring [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Settlement Assets [Abstract]
State and municipal debt securities	0		0
State and municipal variable rate demand notes	0		0
Corporate and other debt securities	0		0
Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund	0		0
Other Assets [Abstract]
Derivatives	0		0
Total assets	0		0
Liabilities [Abstract]:
Notes and other borrowings	0		0
Derivatives	0		0
Total liabilities	$0		$0
[1]	As of March 31, 2015, the Company's weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.4%.

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Details Numeric) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 10, 2014	Apr. 06, 2010	Jan. 31, 2014	Mar. 14, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013
					agent	class_member
Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees [Abstract]
Letters of credit outstanding and bank guarantees	$85,000,000
Letters of credit renewal option	1 year
Southern District of Florida [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of locations subject to subpoena					33
Number of agent locations with seizure warrants		2
Period in which all money transfers sent from certain agent locations were seized		10 days
District of Colorado [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of purported class action lawsuits			2
Number of class members who filed appeals						2
Northern District of Illinois [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Settlement fund	8,500,000
Primary Recommendations [Member] | State of Arizona [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remedy election period				180 days
Number of remedies				1
Settlement amount contingently payable for ineffective program implementation				50,000,000
Settlement amount for individual recommendation implementation failure				1,000,000
Secondary Recommendations [Member] | State of Arizona [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Settlement amount contingently payable for ineffective program implementation				25,000,000
Settlement amount for individual recommendation implementation failure				500,000
Money Transfer Transaction Data Analysis Center [Member] | State of Arizona [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
One-time settlement payment				250,000
Monthly settlement payment				150,000
Expense reimbursement increments				$500,000
Monthly settlement payment funding period				5 years
Minimum [Member] | Primary Recommendations [Member] | State of Arizona [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of primary settlement recommendations				70

Related_Party_Transactions_Det

Related Party Transactions (Details Numeric) (Equity Method Investee [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Equity Method Investee [Member]
Related Party Transactions
Commission expense	$15.70	$15.90

Settlement_Assets_and_Obligati2

Settlement Assets and Obligations (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Settlement assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$583.30	$834.30
Receivables from selling agents and Business Solutions customers	1,032.20	1,006.90
Investment securities	1,856.60	1,472.50
Total settlement assets	3,472.10	3,313.70
Settlement obligations:
Money transfer, money order and payment service payables	2,537	2,356.70
Payables to agents	935.1	957
Total settlement obligations	$3,472.10	$3,313.70

Settlement_Assets_and_Obligati3

Settlement Assets and Obligations (Details 1) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$1,841		$1,458.60
Fair Value	1,856.60		1,472.50
Gross Unrealized Gains	17.1		15.2
Gross Unrealized Losses	-1.5		-1.3
Net Unrealized Gains	15.6		13.9
State and municipal debt securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	1,082.80	[1]	1,024.20	[1]
Fair Value	1,098.10	[1]	1,038.10	[1]
Gross Unrealized Gains	16.8	[1]	15.1	[1]
Gross Unrealized Losses	-1.5	[1]	-1.2	[1]
Net Unrealized Gains	15.3	[1]	13.9	[1]
State and municipal variable rate demand notes [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	649.9		316.8
Fair Value	649.9		316.8
Gross Unrealized Gains	0		0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0		0
Net Unrealized Gains	0		0
Corporate and other debt securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	61.2		70.5
Fair Value	61.5		70.5
Gross Unrealized Gains	0.3		0.1
Gross Unrealized Losses	0		-0.1
Net Unrealized Gains	0.3		0
Short-term state and municipal bond mutual fund
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	47.1		47.1
Fair Value	47.1		47.1
Gross Unrealized Gains	0		0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0		0
Net Unrealized Gains	$0		$0
[1]	The majority of these securities are fixed-rate instruments.

Settlement_Assets_and_Obligati4

Settlement Assets and Obligations (Details 2) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Contractual maturities of debt securities [Abstract]
Due within 1 year	$182.20
Due after 1 year through 5 years	544
Due after 5 years through 10 years	461.8
Due after 10 years	621.5
Total investment securities - Fair Value	1,809.50
Variable rate demand notes [Member]
Contractual maturities of debt securities [Abstract]
Due after 5 years through 10 years	41.8
Due after 10 years	$608.10

Settlement_Assets_and_Obligati5

Settlement Assets and Obligations (Details Numeric) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Billions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Variable Rate Demand Notes, Maximum Maturity Year	2054
Proceeds from sale and Maturity of Available-for-sale Securities	$3.30	$4.60
Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Variable Rate Demand Notes, Period of Time Held	30 days

Stockholders_Equity_Details

Stockholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Unrealized gains on investment securities:
Unrealized gains on investment securities, beginning of period	$8.90	$4.10
Unrealized gains	2.3	7.1
Tax expense	-0.9	-2.6
Reclassification of gains into Other revenues	-0.6	-2.4
Reclassification of gains into Interest income	0	-0.2
Tax expense related to reclassifications	0.2	0.9
Net unrealized gains on investment securities	1	2.8
Unrealized gains on investment securities, end of period	9.9	6.9
Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities, beginning of period	48.6	-33
Unrealized gains	58.2	2.3
Tax expense	-3.1	-1.9
Reclassification of (gains)/losses into Transaction fees	-11.3	0.1
Reclassification of gains into Foreign exchange revenues	-4.4	0
Reclassification of losses into Interest expense	0.9	0.9
Tax expense related to reclassifications	0.3	0.2
Net unrealized gains on hedging activities	40.6	1.6
Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities, end of period	89.2	-31.4
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Foreign currency translation adjustments, beginning of period	-49.2	-21.6
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-2.6	-10.8
Tax benefit	0	3.8
Net foreign currency translation adjustments	-2.6	-7
Foreign currency translation adjustments, end of period	-51.8	-28.6
Defined benefit pension plan adjustments:
Defined benefit pension plan adjustments, beginning of period	-127.2	-118.5
Reclassification of losses into Cost of services	2.9	2.6
Tax benefit related to reclassifications and other	-1.1	-1
Net defined benefit pension plan adjustments	1.8	1.6
Defined benefit pension plan adjustments, end of period	-125.4	-116.9
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, end of period	($78.10)	($170)	($118.90)

Stockholders_Equity_Details_Nu

Stockholders' Equity (Details Numeric) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$0.16	$0.13
Cash dividends declared	$80.50	$67.60
Cash dividends paid	80.5	67.6
Stock repurchased and retired, publicly announced authorizations, shares	7.7	10.9
Stock repurchased and retired, publicly announced authorizations, value excluding commissions	150	179.6
Stock repurchased and retired, publicly announced authorizations, average cost per share excluding commissions	$19.50	$16.44
Remaining amount available under share repurchase authorization through December 31, 2017	$1,061.90

Employee_Benefit_Plan_Details

Employee Benefit Plan (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Components of net periodic benefit cost
Interest cost	$2.90	$3.40
Expected return on plan assets	-5.1	-5.1
Amortization of actuarial loss	2.9	2.6
Net periodic benefit cost	$0.70	$0.90

Employee_Benefit_Plan_Details_

Employee Benefit Plan (Details Numeric) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Unfunded pension obligation	$69.70	$74.90

Derivatives_Details

Derivatives (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Designated as hedges [Member] | Euro [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	$382.30
Designated as hedges [Member] | Canadian dollar [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	112.2
Designated as hedges [Member] | British pound [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	82.6
Designated as hedges [Member] | Australian dollar [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	51.4
Designated as hedges [Member] | Swiss franc [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	43.3
Designated as hedges [Member] | Other [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	93.4
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Euro [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	201.3
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Canadian dollar [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	61.8
Not designated as hedges [Member] | British pound [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	67.2
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Australian dollar [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	30.6
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Other [Member]
Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts [Abstract]
Notional amounts	162.6	[1]
Number of currency exposures within 'Other'	20
Maximum individual currency exposure within 'Other'	$25
[1]	Comprised of exposures to 20 different currencies. None of these individual currency exposures is greater than $25 million.

Derivatives_Details_1

Derivatives (Details 1) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	$676.40	$423
Derivative Liabilities	512.4	317.1
Designated hedges [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	123.1	69.6
Derivative Liabilities	4.5	5.4
Designated hedges [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Interest rate fair value hedges - Corporate [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	14.6	3.5
Designated hedges [Member] | Other Liabilities [Member] | Interest rate fair value hedges - Corporate [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Liabilities	0.8	1.9
Designated hedges [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	108.5	66.1
Designated hedges [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member] | Other Liabilities [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Liabilities	3.7	3.5
Undesignated hedges [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	553.3	353.4
Derivative Liabilities	507.9	311.7
Undesignated hedges [Member] | Business Solutions [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	549.6	349.4
Undesignated hedges [Member] | Business Solutions [Member] | Other Liabilities [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Liabilities	505.7	310.2
Undesignated hedges [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Assets	3.7	4
Undesignated hedges [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member] | Other Liabilities [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Abstract]
Derivative Liabilities	$2.20	$1.50

Derivatives_Details_2

Derivatives (Details 2) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative Assets	$676.40	$423
Derivative Liabilities	512.4	317.1
Subject to netting [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets	411.8	255.1
Gross Amounts Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets	0	0
Derivative Assets	411.8	255.1
Derivatives Not Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets	-218.5	-134.8
Derivative Asset Net Amounts	193.3	120.3
Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities	295.3	169.3
Gross Amounts Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets	0	0
Derivative Liabilities	295.3	169.3
Derivatives Not Offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets	-218.5	-134.8
Derivative Liability Net Amounts	76.8	34.5
Not subject to netting [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative asset not subject to netting	264.6	167.9
Derivative liability not subject to netting	$217.10	$147.80

Derivatives_Details_3

Derivatives (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	$1		($0.60)
Fair Value Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives	10.9		3.8
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Related Hedged Item	-7.5	[1]	-0.3	[1]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0.7		-0.2
Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivatives (Effective Portion)	58.2		2.3
Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)	14.8		-1
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	-0.8	[2]	-0.6	[2]
Interest Rate Contracts [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivatives (Effective Portion)	0	[3]	0	[3]
Interest Rate Contracts [Member] | Interest expense [Member] | Fair Value Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives	10.9		3.8
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0.7		-0.2
Interest Rate Contracts [Member] | Interest expense [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)	-0.9	[3]	-0.9	[3]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0	[3]	0	[3]
Fixed-rate debt [Member] | Interest expense [Member] | Fair Value Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Related Hedged Item	-7.5	[1]	-0.3	[1]
Foreign currency contracts [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivatives (Effective Portion)	58.2		2.3
Foreign currency contracts [Member] | Revenue [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)	15.7		-0.1
Foreign currency contracts [Member] | Derivative gains/(losses), net [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	-0.8	[2]	-0.6	[2]
Undesignated hedges [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Undesignated Hedges	29.1		-1.6
Undesignated hedges [Member] | Selling, general and administrative [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Undesignated Hedges	27.3	[4]	-1.6	[4]
Undesignated hedges [Member] | Derivative gains/(losses), net [Member]
Hedges [Abstract]
Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Income on Undesignated Hedges	$1.80	[5]	$0	[5]
[1]	The loss of $7.5 million and $0.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, consisted of a loss in value on the debt of $11.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively, and amortization of hedge accounting adjustments of $4.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively.
[2]	The portion of the change in fair value of a derivative excluded from the effectiveness assessment for foreign currency forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges represents the difference between changes in forward rates and spot rates.
[3]	The Company uses derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt and records the effective portion of the derivative's fair value in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These amounts are reclassified to "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the life of the related notes.
[4]	The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations as well as certain foreign currency denominated positions. Foreign exchange losses on settlement assets and obligations and cash balances, not including amounts related to derivatives activity as displayed above and included in "Selling, general, and administrative" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, were $29.5 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively
[5]	The derivative contracts used in the Company's revenue hedging program are not designated as hedges in the final month of the contract.

Derivatives_Details_Numeric

Derivatives (Details Numeric) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Foreign exchange gains/(losses) on settlement assets and obligations and cash balances	($29.50)		($0.80)
Accumulated other comprehensive pre-tax gain to be reclassified into revenue in next 12 months	78.5
Losses forecasted to be recognized on debt issuance hedges in next 12 months	3.6
Business Solutions [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Notional amounts	5,500
Interest Rate Contracts [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Notional amounts	975
Interest Rate Contracts [Member] | Notes Payable, 2017 [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Notional amounts	500
Interest Rate Contracts [Member] | Notes Payable, 2018 [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Notional amounts	300
Interest Rate Contracts [Member] | Notes Payable, 2020 [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Notional amounts	175
Fair Value Hedges [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Gain/(loss) recognized in Income on related hedged item	-7.5	[1]	-0.3	[1]
Fair Value Hedges [Member] | Fixed-rate debt [Member] | Interest expense [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Gain/(loss) recognized in Income on related hedged item	-7.5	[1]	-0.3	[1]
Gain/(loss) in value of debt	-11.6		-3.6
Amortization of hedge accounting adjustments	$4.10		$3.30
Designated as hedges [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Derivative policy - contract maturity period maximum	36 months
Derivative policy - targeted weighted-average maturity	1 year
Maximum remaining maturity of foreign currency derivatives	24 months
Derivative weighted-average maturity	1 year
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Uncollected Settlement Assets and Obligations [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Foreign currency forward contracts maturity range minimum	2 days
Foreign currency forward contracts maturity range maximum	1 month
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Foreign currency denominated cash and other asset positions [Member] | Consumer-to-Consumer [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Foreign currency forward contracts maturity range maximum	1 year
Not designated as hedges [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Business Solutions [Member]
Derivative instruments [Line Items]
Derivative weighted-average maturity	1 year
[1]	The loss of $7.5 million and $0.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, consisted of a loss in value on the debt of $11.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively, and amortization of hedge accounting adjustments of $4.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively.

Borrowings_Details

Borrowings (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	$3,730,500,000		$3,730,500,000
Fair value hedge accounting adjustments, net	12,800,000	[1]	5,300,000	[1]
Unamortized discount, net	-14,700,000		-15,400,000
Total borrowings at carrying value	3,728,600,000	[2]	3,720,400,000
Floating rate notes (effective rate of 1.3%) due 2015 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	250,000,000		250,000,000
Effective interest rate	1.30%
2.375% notes due 2015 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	250,000,000	[3]	250,000,000	[3]
Stated interest rate	2.38%		2.38%
5.930% notes due 2016 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	1,000,000,000	[3]	1,000,000,000	[3]
Stated interest rate	5.93%		5.93%
2.875% notes (effective rate of 2.0%) due 2017 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	500,000,000		500,000,000
Stated interest rate	2.88%		2.88%
Effective interest rate	2.00%
3.650% notes due 2018 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	400,000,000	[3]	400,000,000	[3]
Stated interest rate	3.65%		3.65%
3.350% notes due 2019 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	250,000,000	[3]	250,000,000	[3]
Stated interest rate	3.35%		3.35%
5.253% notes (effective rate of 4.6%) due 2020 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	324,900,000		324,900,000
Stated interest rate	5.25%		5.25%
Effective interest rate	4.60%
6.200% notes due 2036 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	500,000,000	[3]	500,000,000	[3]
Stated interest rate	6.20%		6.20%
6.200% notes due 2040 [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	250,000,000	[3]	250,000,000	[3]
Stated interest rate	6.20%		6.20%
Other borrowings [Member]
Borrowings
Total borrowings at par value	$5,600,000		$5,600,000
[1]	The Company utilizes interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The changes in fair value of these interest rate swaps result in an offsetting hedge accounting adjustment recorded to the carrying value of the related note. These hedge accounting adjustments will be reclassified as reductions to or increases in "Interest expense" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the life of the related notes, and cause the effective rate of interest to differ from the notes' stated rate.
[2]	As of March 31, 2015, the Company's weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.4%.
[3]	The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.

Borrowings_Details_1

Borrowings (Details 1) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
Borrowings maturities at par value [Abstract]
Due within 1 year	$500,000,000
Due after 1 year through 2 years	1,005,600,000
Due after 2 years through 3 years	500,000,000
Due after 3 years through 4 years	400,000,000
Due after 4 years through 5 years	250,000,000
Due after 5 years	$1,074,900,000

Borrowings_Details_Numeric

Borrowings (Details Numeric)	Mar. 31, 2015
Long-term Debt, Other Disclosures [Abstract]
Weighted-average effective rate	4.40%

Income_Taxes_Details_Numeric

Income Taxes (Details Numeric) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective tax rate	12.30%	10.70%
Uncertain Tax Positions [Abstract]
Unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties	$99,100,000		93,400,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate	86,000,000		82,400,000
Interest and penalties, accrued	15,200,000		15,100,000
Reasonably possible decrease to the Company's total unrecognized tax benefits during the next 12 months	27,000,000
Expected cash payments as a result of the IRS Agreement	190,000,000
Cash payments made to date as a result of the IRS Agreement	94,100,000
Provision for certain outside tax basis differences, which primarily relate to accumulated foreign earnings	0
Accumulated foreign earnings	$5,700,000,000
Pre-tax Income [Member] | Foreign Tax Authority [Member] | Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]
Components of Pre-Tax Income [Abstract]
Percent of pre-tax income derived from foreign sources			96.00%
Forecast [Member] | Pre-tax Income [Member] | Foreign Tax Authority [Member] | Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]
Components of Pre-Tax Income [Abstract]
Percent of pre-tax income derived from foreign sources				98.00%

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Detai

Stock Compensation Plans (Details Numeric) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation expense	$11.70	$11.30
Options granted	1
Options granted, weighted-average exercise price	$19.29
Outstanding options	15
Outstanding options, weighted-average exercise price	$18.11
Options exercisable	11.7
Options exercisable, weighted-average exercise price	$18.62
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Award vesting period	4 years
Award expiration period	10 years
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Units granted	2
Units granted, weighted-average grant date fair value	$17.85
Non-vested restricted stock units	8
Non-vested restricted stock units, weighted-average grant date fair value	$15.35
Award vesting period	4 years
Restricted Stock Units [Member] | Prior to 2014 [Member]
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Award vesting period	3 years
Performance Shares [Member]
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Units granted	0.6
Units granted, weighted-average grant date fair value	$17.66
Award vesting period	3 years
Performance Shares [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Percentage of Stock Units Granted That Recipients Receive As Performance Based Restricted Stock Units	0.00%
Performance Shares [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Stock Compensation Plans (Numeric) [Abstract]
Percentage of Stock Units Granted That Recipients Receive As Performance Based Restricted Stock Units	150.00%

Segments_Details

Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Transaction fees	$948.60	$987.90
Foreign exchange revenues	338	329.3
Other revenues	34.3	33.6
Total revenues	1,320.90	1,350.80
Operating income/(loss):
Operating income/(loss)	272.3	272
Consumer-to-Consumer [Member]
Revenues:
Transaction fees	776.2	825.6
Foreign exchange revenues	244.1	236
Other revenues	18	15.9
Total revenues	1,038.30	1,077.50
Operating income/(loss):
Operating income/(loss)	240.2	247
Consumer-to-Business [Member]
Revenues:
Transaction fees	151.4	140.7
Foreign exchange and other revenues	6.4	6.5
Total revenues	157.8	147.2
Operating income/(loss):
Operating income/(loss)	29.5	29.8
Business Solutions [Member]
Revenues:
Foreign exchange revenues	87.9	90.4
Transaction fees and other revenues	10.1	9
Total revenues	98	99.4
Operating income/(loss):
Operating income/(loss)	2.1	-3.6
Other [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	26.8	26.7
Operating income/(loss):
Operating income/(loss)	$0.50	($1.20)

Segments_Details_Numeric

Segments (Details Numeric)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
	segment
Segment (Numeric) [Abstract]
Number of operating segments	3
Consumer-to-Consumer [Member]
Segment (Numeric) [Abstract]
Number of geographic regions in segment	5