XML 27 R27.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT ﻿
v2.3.0.11

Accounts Receivable and Loans (Tables) | 6 Months Ended
--- | ---
Jun. 30, 2011
Accounts Receivable and Loans (Tables) [Abstract] |
Cardmember receivables segment detail | Accounts receivable as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 were as follows:
(Millions) |  | 2011 |  | 2010
| U.S. Card Services(a) |  | $ | 19,249 |  | $ | 19,155
| International Card Services |  |  | 6,872 |  |  | 6,673
| Global Commercial Services(b) |  |  | 13,814 |  |  | 11,259
| Global Network & Merchant Services(c) |  |  | 208 |  |  | 179
Cardmember receivables, gross(d) |  |  | 40,143 |  |  | 37,266
Less: Cardmember receivables reserve for losses |  |  | 415 |  |  | 386
Cardmember receivables, net |  | $ | 39,728 |  | $ | 36,880
Other receivables, net(e) |  | $ | 3,655 |  | $ | 3,554
(a) Includes $7.0 billion and $7.7 billion of gross cardmember receivables available to settle obligations of a consolidated VIE as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. (b) Includes $0.5 billion of gross cardmember receivables available to settle obligations of a consolidated VIE as of both June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. (c) Includes receivables primarily related to the Company's International Currency Card portfolios. (d) Includes approximately $13.1 billion and $11.7 billion of cardmember receivables outside the United States as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. (e) Other receivables primarily represent amounts for tax-related receivables, amounts due from the Company's travel customers and suppliers, purchased joint venture receivables, amounts due from third-party issuing partners, amounts due from certain merchants for billed discount revenue, accrued interest on investments and other receivables due to the Company in the ordinary course of business.
Cardmember loans segment detail | Loans as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 consisted of:
(Millions) |  |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010
| U.S. Card Services(a) |  | $ | 49,908 |  | $ | 51,565
| International Card Services |  |  | 8,806 |  |  | 9,255
| Global Commercial Services |  |  | 35 |  |  | 30
Cardmember loans, gross(b) |  |  | 58,749 |  |  | 60,850
Less: Cardmember loans reserve for losses |  |  | 2,560 |  |  | 3,646
Cardmember loans, net |  | $ | 56,189 |  | $ | 57,204
Other loans, net(c) |  | $ | 377 |  | $ | 412
(a) I ncludes approximately $32.1 billion and $34.7 billion of gross cardmember loans available to settle obligations of a consolidated VIE a s of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. (b) Cardmember loan balance is net of u namortized net card fees of $142 million and $134 million as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. (c) Other loans primarily represent s mall business installment loans and a store card portfolio whose billed b usiness is not processed on the Company's network.
Aging of cardmember loans and receivables | T he following table represents the aging of cardmember loans and receivables as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010:
|  |  |  |  |  | 30-59 |  |  | 60-89 |  |  | 90+ |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  | Days |  |  | Days |  |  | Days |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  | Past |  |  | Past |  |  | Past |  |  |
2011(Millions) |  |  | Current |  |  | Due |  |  | Due |  |  | Due |  |  | Total
Cardmember Loans: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. Card Services |  | $ | 49,153 |  | $ | 209 |  | $ | 157 |  | $ | 389 |  | $ | 49,908
International Card Services |  |  | 8,625 |  |  | 61 |  |  | 38 |  |  | 82 |  |  | 8,806
Cardmember Receivables: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. Card Services |  | $ | 18,927 |  | $ | 114 |  | $ | 62 |  | $ | 146 |  | $ | 19,249
International Card Services(a) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | 71 |  |  | 6,872
Global Commercial Services(a) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | 92 |  |  | 13,814
2010(Millions) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cardmember Loans: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. Card Services |  | $ | 50,508 |  | $ | 282 |  | $ | 226 |  | $ | 549 |  | $ | 51,565
International Card Services |  |  | 9,044 |  |  | 66 |  |  | 48 |  |  | 97 |  |  | 9,255
Cardmember Receivables: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. Card Services |  | $ | 18,864 |  | $ | 104 |  | $ | 55 |  | $ | 132 |  | $ | 19,155
International Card Services(a) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | 64 |  |  | 6,673
Global Commercial Services(a) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | (b) |  |  | 96 |  |  | 11,259
(a) For c ardmember receivables in International Card Services (ICS) and Global Commercial Services (GCS), delinquency data is tracked based on days past billing status rather than days past due. A cardmember account is considered 90 days past billing if payment has not been received within 90 days of the cardmember's billing statement date. In addition, if the Company initiates collection procedures on an account prior to the account becoming 90 days past billing the associated cardmember receivable balance is considered as 90 days past billing. These amounts are shown above as 90+ Days Past Due for presentation purposes. (b) Historically, data for periods prior to 90 days past billing are not available due to system constraints. Therefore, it has not been utilized for risk management purposes. The balances that are current to 89 days past due can be derived as the difference between the T otal and the 90+ Days Past Due balances.
Credit quality indicators for loans and receivables | The following table s prese nt the key credit quality indicators as of or for the six months ended June 30:
|  | 2011 |  | 2010 |
|  | Net Write-Off Rate |  |  |  | Net Write-Off Rate |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  | 30 Days |  |  |  |  |  | 30 Days |
|  |  |  | Principal, |  | Past Due |  |  |  | Principal, |  | Past Due |
|  | Principal |  | Interest, & |  | as a % of |  | Principal |  | Interest, & |  | as a % of |
|  | Only | (a) | Fees | (a) | Total |  | Only | (a) | Fees | (a) | Total |
U.S. Card Services ― |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cardmember Loans |  | 3.4 | % | 3.8 | % | 1.5 | % | 6.7 | % | 7.4 | % | 2.7 | %
International Card Services ― |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cardmember Loans |  | 3.1 | % | 3.7 | % | 2.1 | % | 5.2 | % | 6.2 | % | 3.0 | %
U.S. Card Services ― |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cardmember Receivables |  | 1.6 | % | 1.7 | % | 1.7 | % | 1.7 | % | 1.9 | % | 1.5 | %
|  |  |  |  |  | 2011 |  | 2010 |
|  |  |  |  |  | Net Loss |  |  |  | Net Loss |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  | Ratio as |  | 90 Days |  | Ratio as |  | 90 Days |
|  |  |  |  |  | a % of |  | Past Billing |  | a % of |  | Past Billing |
|  |  |  |  |  | Charge |  | as a % of |  | Charge |  | as a % of |
|  |  |  |  |  | Volume |  | Receivables |  | Volume | (b) | Receivables |
International Card Services ― Cardmember Receivables |  | 0.15 | % | 1.0 | % | 0.34 | % | 1.0 | %
Global Commercial Services ― Cardmember Receivables | 0.06 | % | 0.7 | % | 0.17 | % | 1.0 | %
(a) The Company presents a net write-off rate based on principal losses only (i.e., excluding interest and/or fees) to be consistent with industry convention. In addition, because the Company's practice is to include uncollectible interest and/or fees as part of its total provision for losses, a net write-off rate includi ng principal, interest and/or fees is also presented. (b) In the first quarter of 2010, the Company modified its reporting in the ICS and GCS segments to write-off past due cardmember receivables when 180 days past due or earlier, versus its prior methodology of writing them off when 360 days past billing or earlier. This change is consistent with bank regulatory guidance and the write-off methodology adopted for the cardmember receivables portfo lio in the U.S. Card Services (USCS) segment in the fourth quarter of 2008. This change r esulted in approximately $60 million and $48 million of net write-offs for ICS and GCS, respe ctively, being included in the first quarter of 2010, which increased the net loss ratios and decreased the 90 days past billing metrics for these segments, but did not have a substantial impact on provisions for losses.
Impaired cardmember loans and receivables | The following tables provide additional information with respect to the Company's impaired cardmember loans and receivables as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010:
|  |  | Loans over |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | 90 Days |  |  |  |  |  | Loans & |  |  | Total |  |  |
|  |  | Past Due |  |  | Non- |  |  | Receivables |  |  | Impaired |  |  | Unpaid |  |  |  |  |
(Millions) |  | & Accruing |  |  | Accrual |  |  | Modified |  |  | Loans & |  |  | Principal |  |  |  | Allowance |
2011 |  |  | Interest | (a) |  | Loans | (b) |  | as a TDR | (c) |  | Receivables |  |  | Balance | (d) |  | for TDRs | (e)
U.S. Card Services ― Cardmember Loans |  | $ | 53 |  | $ | 471 |  | $ | 898 |  | $ | 1,422 |  | $ | 1,359 |  |  | $ | 215 |
International Card Services ― Cardmember Loans |  |  | 81 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 9 |  |  | 96 |  |  | 93 |  |  |  | 4 |
U.S. Card Services ― Cardmember Receivables |  |  | ― |  |  | ― |  |  | 138 |  |  | 138 |  |  | 131 |  |  |  | 83 |
Total(f) |  | $ | 134 |  | $ | 477 |  | $ | 1,045 |  | $ | 1,656 |  | $ | 1,583 |  |  | $ | 302 |
|  |  | Loans over |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | 90 Days |  |  |  |  |  | Loans & |  |  | Total |  |  |
|  |  | Past Due |  |  | Non- |  |  | Receivables |  |  | Impaired |  |  | Unpaid |  |  |  |  |
(Millions) |  | & Accruing |  |  | Accrual |  |  | Modified |  |  | Loans & |  |  | Principal |  |  |  | Allowance |
2010 |  |  | Interest | (a) |  | Loans | (b) |  | as a TDR | (c) |  | Receivables |  |  | Balance | (d) |  | for TDRs | (e)
U.S. Card Services ― Cardmember Loans |  | $ | 90 |  | $ | 628 |  | $ | 1,076 |  | $ | 1,794 |  | $ | 1,704 |  |  | $ | 274 |
International Card Services ― Cardmember Loans |  |  | 95 |  |  | 8 |  |  | 11 |  |  | 114 |  |  | 112 |  |  |  | 5 |
U.S. Card Services ― Cardmember Receivables |  |  | ― |  |  | ― |  |  | 114 |  |  | 114 |  |  | 109 |  |  |  | 63 |
Total(f) |  | $ | 185 |  | $ | 636 |  | $ | 1,201 |  | $ | 2,022 |  | $ | 1,925 |  |  | $ | 342 |
(a) The Company's policy is generally to accrue inte rest through the date of charge-off (at 180 days past due). The Company establishes reserves for interest that the Company believes will not be collected. (b) Non-accrual loans not in modification programs include certain cardmember loans placed with outside collection agencies for which the Company has ceased accruing interest. The Company's policy is not to resume the accrual of interest on these loans. Payments received are applied against the recorded loan balance. Interest income is recognized on a cash basis for any payments received after the loan balance has been paid in full. (c) The total loans and receivable s modified as a TDR include $559 million and $655 mil lion that are non-accrual and $8 million and $7 million that are past due 90 days and still accruing interest as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. These amounts are excluded from the previous two columns. (d) Unpaid principal balance consists of cardmember charges billed and excludes other amounts charged directly by the Company such as int erest and fees. (e) Represents the reserve for losses for TDRs, which are evaluated separately fo r impairment. The Company record s a reserve for losses for all impaired loans. Refer to Cardmember Loans Evaluated Separately and Collectively for Impairment in Note 5 for further discussion of the reserve for losses on loans over 90 days past due and accruing interest and non-accrual loans, which are evaluated collectively for impairment. (f) These disclosures either do not apply or are not significant for cardmember receivables in ICS and GCS.

X
- Definition Accounts Receivable and Loans. + Details
Name: | axp_AccountsReceivableAndLoansTablesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of financing receivables that are current and past due. + Details
Name: | axp_CurrentAndPastDueFinancingReceivablesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of financing receivables by credit quality indicator. The credit quality indicator is a statistic about the credit quality of financing receivables. Examples include, but not limited to, consumer credit risk scores, credit-rating-agency ratings, an entity's internal credit risk grades, loan-to-value ratios, collateral, collection experience and other internal metrics. + Details
Name: | axp_FinancingReceivableCreditQualityIndicatorsTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of impaired financing receivables. + Details
Name: | axp_ImpairedFinancingReceivablesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Reflects the aggregate carrying amount of all categories of cardmember loans held in portfolio, net of reserve for losses, as well as other loans, net. + Details
Name: | axp_ScheduleOfLoansAndFinancingReceivableTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure itemizing the various types of trade accounts and notes receivable, and for each the gross carrying value, allowance, and net carrying value as of the balance sheet date. Presentation is categorized by current, noncurrent and unclassified receivables. This disclosure may include (1) the basis at which such receivables are carried in the entity's statements of financial position (2) how the level of the valuation allowance for receivables is determined (3) when impairments, charge-offs or recoveries are recognized for such receivables (4) the treatment of origination fees and costs, including the amortization method for net deferred fees or costs (5) the treatment of any premiums or discounts or unearned income (6) the entity's income recognition policies for such receivables, including those that are impaired, past due or placed on nonaccrual status and (7) the treatment of foreclosures or repossessions (8) the nature and amount of any guarantees to repurchase receivables. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 3, 4 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfAccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration