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Investment Securities (Details 2) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2014
securities
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Dec. 31, 2013
securities
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| Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions [Abstract] |
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| Number of securities, less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear |
241us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear |
| Number of securities, 12 months or more |
15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear |
11us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear |
| Number of securities, total |
15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 |
252us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 |
| Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Abstract] |
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| Estimated Fair Value, Less than 12 months |
$ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue |
$ 1,759,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue |
| Estimated Fair Value, 12 months or more |
105,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue |
123,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue |
| Estimated Fair Value, Total |
105,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue |
1,882,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue |
| Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses [Abstract] |
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| Gross Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses |
(67,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses |
| Gross Unrealized Losses, 12 months or more |
(3,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses |
(17,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses |
| Gross Unrealized Losses, Total |
(3,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses |
(84,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses |
| Ratio Of Fair Value To Amortized Cost Between Ninety And One Hundred Percent [Member] |
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| Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions [Abstract] |
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| Number of securities, less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
228us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Number of securities, 12 months or more |
15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
6us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Number of securities, total |
15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
234us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Abstract] |
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| Estimated Fair Value, Less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
1,665,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Estimated Fair Value, 12 months or more |
105,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
24,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Estimated Fair Value, Total |
105,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
1,689,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses [Abstract] |
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| Gross Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
(53,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Gross Unrealized Losses, 12 months or more |
(3,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
(2,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Gross Unrealized Losses, Total |
(3,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
(55,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember |
| Ratio Of Fair Value To Amortized Cost Less Than Ninety Percent [Member] |
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| Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions [Abstract] |
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| Number of securities, less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
13us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Number of securities, 12 months or more |
0us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
5us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Number of securities, total |
0us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
18us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Abstract] |
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| Estimated Fair Value, Less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
94,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Estimated Fair Value, 12 months or more |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
99,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Estimated Fair Value, Total |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
193,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses [Abstract] |
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| Gross Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
(14,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Gross Unrealized Losses, 12 months or more |
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
(15,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
| Gross Unrealized Losses, Total |
$ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |
$ (29,000,000)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostLessThanNinetyPercentMember |