|
Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 5) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
|
3 Months Ended |
|
Mar. 31, 2015
|
Mar. 31, 2014
|
| Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items] |
|
|
| Average balance of impaired loans |
$ 786us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment |
$ 906us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment |
| Interest income recognized |
17us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod |
20us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod |
| U S Card Services [Member] | Card Member Loans [Member] |
|
|
| Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items] |
|
|
| Average balance of impaired loans |
692us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
793us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
| Interest income recognized |
13us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
16us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
| U S Card Services [Member] | Card Member Receivables [Member] |
|
|
| Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items] |
|
|
| Average balance of impaired loans |
38us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
50us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
| Interest income recognized |
0us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
0us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember |
| International Card Services [Member] | Card Member Loans [Member] |
|
|
| Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items] |
|
|
| Average balance of impaired loans |
56us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_InternationalCardServicesMember |
63us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_InternationalCardServicesMember |
| Interest income recognized |
$ 4us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_InternationalCardServicesMember |
$ 4us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= axp_CardmemberLoansMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_InternationalCardServicesMember |