v2.4.0.6
Long-term Debt, Summary (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt $ 125,354 $ 156,983
Wells Fargo & Company [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt 77,613 99,745
Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Senior Notes 57,233 67,925
Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Subordinated Debt 13,182 13,488
Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 7,198 18,332
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt 42,202 50,044
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Senior Notes 4,353 14,541
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Subordinated Debt 17,858 18,465
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 286 595
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Mortgage loans [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2056  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Other Long-term Debt 14,854 8,639
Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt 5,539 7,194
Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Senior Notes 5,174 6,167
Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 155 327
Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Mortgage loans [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2013  
Maturity date(s) End 2018  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Other Long-term Debt 129 127
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2048  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Senior Notes 17,872 26,750
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2015  
Maturity date(s) End 2016  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Subordinated Debt 1,141 1,118
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) End 2027  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Junior Subordinated Notes 247 289
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2038  
Maturity date(s) End 2040  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Senior Notes 72 4,186
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2014  
Maturity date(s) End 2017  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Subordinated Debt 1,976 1,945
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) End 2027  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Junior Subordinated Notes 286 278
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Long Term Debt Issued By Variable Interest Entity [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2014  
Maturity date(s) End 2050  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Other Long-term Debt 2,748 4,053
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) End 2027  
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 0.928%  
Junior Subordinated Notes 155 239
Floating Rate Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Long Term Debt Issued By Variable Interest Entity [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Other Long-term Debt 0 489
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2035  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 2.125%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 6.75%  
Senior Notes 38,002 40,630
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2035  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 4.375%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 7.574%  
Subordinated Debt 12,041 12,370
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) End 2013  
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 6.00%  
Senior Notes 1,326 2,185
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2013  
Maturity date(s) End 2038  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 4.75%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 7.74%  
Subordinated Debt 15,882 16,520
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 0 317
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Long Term Debt Issued By Variable Interest Entity [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2014  
Maturity date(s) End 2038  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 0.00%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 7.00%  
Other Long-term Debt 2,103 3,751
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2016  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 3.70%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 6.125%  
Senior Notes 5,154 6,147
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 0 10
Fixed Rate Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Long Term Debt Issued By Variable Interest Entity [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2020  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 5.16%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 6.88%  
Other Long-term Debt 81 84
Fixed Rate Notes - Hybrid Trust Securities [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2029  
Maturity date(s) End 2068  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 5.625%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 7.95%  
Junior Subordinated Notes 6,951 11,257
Market Linked Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2041  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Senior Notes 1,359 545
Market Linked Notes [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2016  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Senior Notes 238 229
FixFloat Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) End 2020  
Variable Stated interest rate 6.795% through 2015, varies  
Senior Notes 20 20
FixFloat Notes [Member] | Other Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 0 78
FixFloat Notes - Income Trust Securities [Member] | Wells Fargo & Company [Member] | Junior Subordinated Debt [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Junior Subordinated Notes 0 6,786
Floating Rate Advances - FHLB [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2013  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Senior Notes 2,101 7,103
Fixed Rate Advances - FHLB [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2031  
Stated interest rate(s) Minimum 2.30%  
Stated interest rate(s) Maximum 8.45%  
Senior Notes 500 812
Capital Lease Obligations [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other bank entities [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
   
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Maturity date(s) Start 2012  
Maturity date(s) End 2025  
Variable Stated interest rate Varies  
Senior Notes $ 116 $ 26