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Reserves For Losses (Tables) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Reserves For Losses Tables [Abstract] |
Changes in the cardmember receivable reserve for losses | The following table presents changes in the cardmember receivables reserve for losses for the three months ended March 31:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Balance, January 1 |  | $ | 438 |  | $ | 386
Additions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Provisions(a) |  |  | 149 |  |  | 160
| Other(b) |  |  | 29 |  |  | 38
|  | Total provision |  |  | 178 |  |  | 198
Deductions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net write-offs(c) |  |  | (182) |  |  | (132)
| Other(d) |  |  | (10) |  |  | (31)
Balance, March 31 |  | $ | 424 |  | $ | 421
P rovisions for principal (resulting from authorized transactions) and fee reserve components. Primarily provisions for unauthorized transactions. Consists of principal (resulting from authorized transactions) and fee components, less recoveries of $93 million and $84 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. I nclude s net write-offs resulting from unauthorized transactions and foreign currency translation adjustments.
Cardmember receivables and related reserves evaluated separately and collectively for impairment | The following table presents cardmember receivables evaluated individually and collectively for impair ment and related reserves as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Cardmember receivables evaluated individually for impairment(a) |  | $ | 145 |  | $ | 174
Related reserves (a) |  | $ | 110 |  | $ | 118
Cardmember receivables evaluated collectively for impairment |  | $ | 41,362 |  | $ | 40,716
Related reserves |  | $ | 314 |  | $ | 320
Represents receivables modified in a TDR and related reserves. Refer to the Impaired Loans and Receivables dis cussion in N ote 4 for further information.
Changes in the cardmember loans reserve for losses | The following table presents changes in the cardmember loans reserve for losses for the three months ended March 31:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Balance, January 1 |  | $ | 1,874 |  | $ | 3,646
Additions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Provisions(a) |  |  | 185 |  |  | (139)
| Other(b) |  |  | 27 |  |  | 19
|  | Total provision |  |  | 212 |  |  | (120)
Deductions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net write-offs – principal(c) |  |  | (349) |  |  | (535)
| Net write-offs – interest and fees(c) |  |  | (44) |  |  | (61)
| Other(d) |  |  | (13) |  |  | (9)
Balance, March 31 |  | $ | 1,680 |  | $ | 2,921
P rovisions for principal (resulting from authorized transacti ons), interest and fee reserves components. Primarily provisions for unauthorized transactions. I nclude s recoveries of $133 million and $150 million, respectively. Recoveries of interest and fees were de minimis. I nclude s net write-offs for unauthorized transactions and foreign currency translation adjustments.
Cardmember loans and related reserves evaluated separately and collectively for impairment | The following table presents cardmember loans evaluated individually and collectively for impairment and related reserves as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Cardmember loans evaluated individually for impairment(a) |  | $ | 762 |  | $ | 744
Related reserves (a) |  | $ | 181 |  | $ | 176
Cardmember loans evaluated collectively for impairment(b) |  | $ | 59,335 |  | $ | 61,877
Related reserves (b) |  | $ | 1,499 |  | $ | 1,698
Represents loans modified in a TDR and related reserves. Refer to the Impaired Loans and Receivables d iscussion in Note 4 for further information. Represents current loans and loans less than 90 days past due, loans over 90 days past due and accruing interest, and non-accrual loans and related reserves. The reserves include the results of analytical models that are specific to individual pools of loans and reserves for external environmental factors that apply broadly to all loans collectively evaluated for impairment and are not specific to any individual pool of loans.

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of cardmember loans that are evaluated separately and collectively for impairment and the related reserves. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of changes in the cardmember loans reserve for losses for the period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of cardmember receivables that are evaluated separately and collectively for impairment and the related reserves. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of credit losses for current financing receivables (such as trade and accounts receivable), including a rollforward of the balance. An alternative caption includes allowance for doubtful accounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Publisher FASB -Number -Article -Subparagraph (c) -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Paragraph 11B -Section 50 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6965416&loc=SL6953423-111524 + Details
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