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Restructuring Charges (Details) (USD $)
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3 Months Ended |
12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Jun. 30, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2013
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Dec. 31, 2012
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Beginning Balance |
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$ 233,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
$ 470,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
$ 200,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
313,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost |
133,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost |
411,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost |
(4,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost |
403,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost |
| Payments |
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(115,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring |
(229,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring |
(133,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring |
| Other non-cash |
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(59,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringReserveTranslationAndOtherAdjustment |
(4,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringReserveTranslationAndOtherAdjustment |
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| Ending Balance |
470,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
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470,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
233,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
470,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve |
| U S Card Services [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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38,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember |
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| International Card Services [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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139,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_InternationalCardServicesMember |
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| Global Commercial Services [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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54,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_GlobalCommercialServicesMember |
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| Global Network And Merchant Services [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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25,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_GlobalNetworkAndMerchantServicesMember |
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| Corporate and Other [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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155,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember |
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| Employee Severance [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Beginning Balance |
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196,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
412,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
170,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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383,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
(7,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
366,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
| Payments |
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(93,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
(206,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
(124,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
| Other non-cash |
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(51,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringReserveTranslationAndOtherAdjustment / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
(3,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringReserveTranslationAndOtherAdjustment / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
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| Ending Balance |
435,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
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435,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
196,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
412,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember |
| Other Terminations [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Beginning Balance |
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37,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
58,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
30,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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28,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
3,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
37,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
| Payments |
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(22,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
(23,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
(9,000,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForRestructuring / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
| Other non-cash |
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(8,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringReserveTranslationAndOtherAdjustment / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
(1,000,000)us-gaap_RestructuringReserveTranslationAndOtherAdjustment / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
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| Ending Balance |
35,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
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35,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
37,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
58,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringReserve / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_OtherTerminationsMember |
| GBT JV [Member] |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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42,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = axp_GbtJvMember |
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| Foreign exchange and other non-cash charges |
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| Restructuring Charges |
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| Restructuring charges, net of revisions |
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$ 17,000,000us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostIncurredCost / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = us-gaap_OtherRestructuringMember |
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