XML 142 R12.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Acquisitions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2012
Business Combination Disclosure [Abstract] |
Acquisitions | NOTE 2 A cquisit ions On March 1, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of a controlli ng interest in Loyalty Partner, a leading marketing services company that operates loyalty programs in Germany, Poland, India and Mexico. Loyalty Partner also provides market analysis, operating platforms and consulting services that help merchants grow their businesses. T otal consideration was $616 million. T he Company has an option to acquire the remaining noncontrolling equity interest (NCI) over a three-year period beginning at the end of 2013 at a price based on business performance, which had an estimated fair value of $148 million at the acquisition date. In 2010, the Company purchased Accertify and Revolution Money for a total consideration of $151 million and $305 million, respectively. Accertify is an online fraud solution provider and Revolution Money, which was subsequently rebranded by the Company as Serve, is a provider of secure person-to-person payment services through an internet-based platform. These acquisitions did not have a significant impact on either the Company's consolidated results of operations or the segments in which they are reflected for the year s ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. The following table summarizes the assets acquired and liabilities assumed for these acquisitio ns as of the acquisition dates:
|  |  |  |  | Loyalty |  |  |  |  | Revolution
(Millions) |  |  | Partner(a) |  |  | Accertify |  |  | Money(b)
Goodwill |  | $ | 539 |  | $ | 132 |  | $ | 184
Definite-lived intangible assets |  |  | 295 |  |  | 15 |  |  | 119
Other assets |  |  | 208 |  |  | 10 |  |  | 7
| Total assets |  |  | 1,042 |  |  | 157 |  |  | 310
| Total liabilities (including NCI) |  |  | 426 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 5
Net assets acquired |  | $ | 616 |  | $ | 151 |  | $ | 305
Reportable operating segment |  |  | ICS |  |  | GNMS |  |  |
The final purchase price allocation was completed in 2012. The above amounts do not differ significantly from the estimates at the acquisition date. Included in Corporate & Other.

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

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1392-128463 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4845-128472 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4926-128472 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1490-128463 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6927-128479 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e7008-128479 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e7000-128479 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1524-128463 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1383-128463 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1486-128463 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1500-128463 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141R -Paragraph 67-73 -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 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4934-128472 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141R -Paragraph F4 -Subparagraph e -Appendix F Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1497-128463 Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4922-128472 Reference 17: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) -Number 88-16 -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 18: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141 -Paragraph 51, 52 -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 19: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6996-128479 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessCombinationDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration