|
Debt (Details) (USD $)
|
12 Months Ended |
|
Dec. 31, 2014
|
Dec. 31, 2013
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Outstanding Balance |
$ 3,480,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings |
$ 5,021,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings |
| Face amount of eligible notes issued |
2,000,000,000axp_FaceAmountOfEligibleNotesIssued |
|
| Short-term Debt [Member] |
|
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Year-End Stated Rate on Debt |
0.69%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
1.04%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
| Fees to maintain the secured financing facility |
7,000,000axp_DebtPaidRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
7,200,000axp_DebtPaidRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
| Commercial Paper [Member] |
|
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Outstanding Balance |
769,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember |
200,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember |
| Commercial Paper [Member] | Short-term Debt [Member] |
|
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Year-End Stated Rate on Debt |
0.29%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
0.19%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
| Other Short Term Borrowings [Member] |
|
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Outstanding Balance |
2,711,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember |
4,821,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember |
| Other Short Term Borrowings [Member] | Bank Overdrafts [Member] |
|
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Outstanding Balance |
$ 470,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
/ axp_ShortTermDebtOtherTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BankOverdraftsMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember |
$ 489,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
/ axp_ShortTermDebtOtherTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BankOverdraftsMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember |
| Other Short Term Borrowings [Member] | Short-term Debt [Member] |
|
|
| Short-term Debt [Line Items] |
|
|
| Year-End Stated Rate on Debt |
0.81%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |
1.08%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember
/ axp_TypeOfDebtAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |