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Quarterly Financial Data (Details Textuals) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Quarterly Financial Data (Textuals) [Abstract]
Earnings allocated to participating share awards	$ 11	$ 12	$ 13	$ 11	$ 7	$ 14	$ 14	$ 14	$ 47	$ 49	$ 58
Restructuring charges, gross of revision adjustments					400
Restructuring charges, after-tax					287
Membership rewards expense					342
Membership rewards expense, after-tax					212
Statement [Line Items]
Card Member reimbursements					153
Card Member reimbursements, after-tax					95
Periods in the prior year [Member]
Statement [Line Items]
Card Member reimbursements					49
Periods prior to the prior year [Member]
Statement [Line Items]
Card Member reimbursements					$ 83

X

- Definition

Represents Card Member reimbursements for various types of transactions dating back several years related to fees, interest and bonus rewards as well as incremental expense related to the consent orders entered into with the Company's U.S. banking regulators.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents Card Member reimbursements (after tax) for various types of transactions dating back several years related to fees, interest and bonus rewards as well as incremental expense related to the consent orders entered into with the Company's U.S. banking regulators.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Membership rewards expenses accrued.

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- Definition

Membership rewards expense, after tax amount.

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- Definition

Discloses the amount charged against the accrued restructuring reserves, or earnings if not previously accrued, during the period for the specified type of restructuring cost, gross of revision adjustments.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) to net income used for calculating diluted earnings per share (EPS), resulting from the assumed exercise of stock options or restrictive stock units (RSUs).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 260

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

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- Definition

Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to nondeductible restructuring charges.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319



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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

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