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Income Taxes (Details Textuals) (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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Dec. 31, 2011
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| Income Taxes (Textuals) | ||||
| U.S. statutory federal income tax rate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | |
| Aggregate of federal taxes | $ 3,000,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential | |||
| Income taxes paid | 2,500,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet | 2,000,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet | 1,900,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet | |
| Unrecognized tax benefits | 909,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 1,044,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 1,230,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 1,223,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits |
| Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | 489,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit | |||
| Unrecognized tax benefits that affect effective tax rate | 412,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 427,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 452,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | |
| Unrecognized tax benefits, amounts recorded to equity | 369,000,000axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEquity | |||
| Unrecognized tax benefits impact not possible to quantify | 0axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleQuantifyImpactNotPossible | |||
| Unrecognized tax benefits income tax penalties and interest expense | 19,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | 31,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | 8,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | |
| Unrecognized tax benefits income tax penalties and interest accrued | 126,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued | 144,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued | ||
| Income Taxes Of Non Us Subsidiaries [Line Items] | ||||
| Accumulated earnings intended to be permanently reinvested outside the U.S. | 9,700,000,000axp_AccumulatedEarningsToBePermanentlyReinvestedOutsideUnitedStates | |||
| Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Earliest Year [Member] | ||||
| Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] | ||||
| Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction | 2008 | |||
| Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Latest Year [Member] | ||||
| Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] | ||||
| Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction | 2011 | |||
| International [Member] | ||||
| Income Taxes Of Non Us Subsidiaries [Line Items] | ||||
| Benefits related to the realization of certain foreign tax credits | $ 146,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsForeign / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_InternationalMember |
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| Decrease in tax rate related to the realization of certain foreign tax credits | 2.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsForeign / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_InternationalMember |
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- Definition
Represents accumulated earnings of certain non-U.S. subsidiaries that are intended to be permanently reinvested outside the U.S. No definition available.
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- Details
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- Details
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- Definition
Unrecognized tax benefits relating to amounts recorded to equity that, if recognized, would not impact the effective rate. No definition available.
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- Definition
Represents the remaining decrease or increase in unrecognized tax benefits within the next 12 months for which it is not possible to quantify the impact of the increase or decrease on the effective tax rate and net income. No definition available.
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- Definition
Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss). Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to foreign tax credit. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Details
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- Definition
The amount of cash paid during the current period to foreign, federal, state, and local authorities as taxes on income, net of any cash received during the current period as refunds for the overpayment of taxes. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to foreign income tax expense (benefit). Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to foreign tax credit. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Tax year that remains open to examination under enacted tax laws, in CCYY format. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The amount of the unrecognized tax benefit of a position taken for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount thereof will significantly increase or decrease within twelve months of the balance sheet date. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount accrued for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of expense for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Details
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- Details
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