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Guarantees | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Schedule Of Guarantee Obligations [Abstract] |
Guarantees | 10. G uarantees The Company provides cardmember protection plans that cover losses associated with purchased products, as well as certain other guarantees in the ordinary course of business which are within the scope of GAAP governing the accounting for guarantees. In relation to its maximum potential undiscounted future payments as shown in the table that follows, to date the Company has not experienced any significant losses related to guarantees. The Company's initial recognition of guarantees is at fair value, which has been determined in accordance with GAAP governing fair value measurement. In addition, the Company establishes reserves when a loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The following table provides information related to such guarantees as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:
|  | Maximum potential |  |
|  | undiscounted future |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | payments(a) |  | Related liability(b)
|  | (Billions) |  | (Millions)
Type of Guarantee |  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Card and travel operations(c) |  | $ | 45 |  | $ | 51 |  | $ | 98 |  | $ | 96
Other(d) |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 99 |  |  | 98
Total |  | $ | 46 |  | $ | 52 |  | $ | 197 |  | $ | 194
(a) Represents the notional amounts that could be lost under the guarantees and indemnifications if there were a total default by the guaranteed parties. The Merchant Protection guarantee is calculated using management's best estimate of maximum exposure based on all eligible claims as measured against annual billed business volumes. The Company mitigates this risk by withholding settlement from the merchant or obtaining deposits and other guarantees from merchants considered higher risk due to various factors. The amounts being held by the Company are not significant when compared to the maximum potential undiscounted future payments. (b) Included as part of other liabilities on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. (c) Includes Return Protection, Account Protection and Merchant Protection, all of which the Company offers directly to cardmembers. (d) P rimarily includes guarantees related to the Company's business dispositions an d real estate.

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of each guarantee obligation, or each group of similar guarantee obligations, including (a) the nature of the guarantee, including its term, how it arose, and the events or circumstances that would require the guarantor to perform under the guarantee; (b) the maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee; (c) the current carrying amount of the liability, if any, for the guarantor's obligations under the guarantee; and (d) the nature of any recourse provisions under the guarantee, and any assets held either as collateral or by third parties, and any relevant related party disclosure. Excludes disclosures about product warranties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12265-110248 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 45 -Paragraph 13, 16 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248 + Details
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