Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 5) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014 Account bp M	Dec. 31, 2013 bp M Account	Dec. 31, 2012 Account M bp
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts (in thousands)	61,000	80,000	143,000
Aggregated Outstanding Balance	$ 518	$ 695	$ 1,204
Average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of Card Member loans	1,000	1,000	1,200
Average payment term extension	12axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension	12axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension	13axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension
Accounts Receivable and Loans Textuals [Abstract]
Difference between pre- and post-modification outstanding balances	0	4	24
Card Member Loans [Member] \| U S Card Services [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts (in thousands)	46,000	60,000	106,000
Aggregated Outstanding Balance	342	448	779
Card Member Receivables [Member] \| U S Card Services [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts (in thousands)	15,000	20,000	37,000
Aggregated Outstanding Balance	$ 176	$ 247	$ 425

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The average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of Card Member loan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The average period for payment term extension for Card Member receivables modified in a TDR.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Difference between pre-modification and post-modification amounts of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 33

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953676-111524

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- Definition

Post-modification amount of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

+ Details

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