XML 90 R27.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Reserves For Losses (Tables) | 6 Months Ended
--- | ---
Jun. 30, 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 six months ended June 30:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Balance, January 1 |  | $ | 438 |  | $ | 386
Additions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Provisions(a) |  |  | 283 |  |  | 279
| Other(b) |  |  | 58 |  |  | 80
|  | Total provision |  |  | 341 |  |  | 359
Deductions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net write-offs(c) |  |  | (346) |  |  | (260)
| Other(d) |  |  | (41) |  |  | (70)
Balance, June 30 |  | $ | 392 |  | $ | 415
P rovisions for principal (resulting from authorized transactions) and fee reserve components. Provisions for unauthorized transactions. Consists of principal (resulting from authorized transactions) and fee components, less recoveries of $193 million and $171 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Includes net write-offs resulting from unauthorized transactions of $(63) million and $(77) million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively; foreign currency translation adjustments of $(2) million and $5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively; cardmember bankruptcy reserves of $18 million and nil for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively; and other items of $6 million and $2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Cardmember bankruptcy reserves were classified as other liabilities in prior periods.
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 June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Cardmember receivables evaluated individually for impairment(a) |  | $ | 121 |  | $ | 174
Related reserves (a) |  | $ | 98 |  | $ | 118
Cardmember receivables evaluated collectively for impairment |  | $ | 41,419 |  | $ | 40,716
Related reserves |  | $ | 294 |  | $ | 320
Represents receivables modified in a TDR and related reserves. Refer to the Impaired Loans and Receivables dis cussion in N ote 3 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 six months ended June 30:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Balance, January 1 |  | $ | 1,874 |  | $ | 3,646
Additions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Provisions(a) |  |  | 438 |  |  | 7
| Other(b) |  |  | 51 |  |  | 49
|  | Total provision |  |  | 489 |  |  | 56
Deductions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net write-offs: |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Principal(c) |  |  | (678) |  |  | (992)
|  | Interest and fees(c) |  |  | (85) |  |  | (115)
| Other(d) |  |  | (53) |  |  | (35)
Balance, June 30 |  | $ | 1,547 |  | $ | 2,560
P rovisions for principal (resulting from authorized transacti ons), interest and fee reserve s components. P rovisions for unauthorized transactions. Consists of principal write-offs (resulting from authorized transactions), less recoveries of $258 million and $300 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Recoveries of inte rest and fees were de minimis. I nclude s net write-offs for unauthorized transactions of $(53) million and $(47) million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively; foreign currency translation adjustments of $(1) million and $13 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively; cardmember bankruptcy reserves of $4 million and nil for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively; and other item s of $(3) million and $(1) million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Cardmember bankruptcy reserves were classified as othe r liabilities in prior periods.
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 June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011:
(Millions) |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Cardmember loans evaluated individually for impairment(a) |  | $ | 699 |  | $ | 744
Related reserves (a) |  | $ | 165 |  | $ | 176
Cardmember loans evaluated collectively for impairment(b) |  | $ | 60,280 |  | $ | 61,877
Related reserves (b) |  | $ | 1,382 |  | $ | 1,698
Represents loans modified in a TDR and related reserves. Refer to the Impaired Loans and Receivables d iscussion in Note 3 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 to loans in geographic markets that are collectively evaluated for impairment and are not specific to any individual pool of loans.

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of cardmember loans that are evaluated separately and collectively for impairment, and the related reserves. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_CardmemberLoansAndRelatedReservesEvaluatedSeparatelyAndCollectivelyForImpairmentTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of changes in the cardmember loans reserve for losses for the period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_CardmemberLoansReservesRollforwardTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of cardmember receivables that are evaluated separately and collectively for impairment and the related reserves. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_CardmemberReceivablesAndRelatedReservesEvaluatedSeparatelyAndCollectivelyForImpairmentTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | axp_ReservesForLossesTablesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- 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
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfCreditLossesForFinancingReceivablesCurrentTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration