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Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details 1) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2013
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Dec. 31, 2012
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| Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items] |
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| Other non-interest revenue |
$ 2,989,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome |
$ 2,274,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome |
$ 2,425,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome |
| Interest Expense, Long-term Debt |
1,334,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt |
1,516,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt |
1,746,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt |
| Other expense |
6,089,000,000us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense |
6,796,000,000us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense |
6,851,000,000us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense |
| Net Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) on Investment Securities [Member] |
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| Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items] |
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| Other non-interest revenue |
111,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember |
145,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember |
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| Income tax provision for other non-interest revenue |
(40,000,000)axp_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncomeTax
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember |
(52,000,000)axp_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncomeTax
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember |
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| Increase (decrease) due to amounts reclassified into earnings |
71,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember |
93,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember |
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| Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments [Member] |
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| Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items] |
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| Other expense |
(9,000,000)us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember |
0us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember |
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| Income tax benefit for other, net expense |
4,000,000axp_OtherNonInterestExpenseTax
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember |
0axp_OtherNonInterestExpenseTax
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember |
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| Increase (decrease) due to amounts reclassified into earnings |
(5,000,000)axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember |
0axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember |
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| Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] |
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|
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| Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items] |
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| Increase (decrease) due to amounts reclassified into earnings |
$ 66,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember |
$ 93,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember |
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