Customer Deposits (Details 1) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
U.S. retail deposits:
Savings accounts - Direct	$ 26,276	$ 24,550
Certificates of deposit - Direct	402	489
Certificates of deposit - Third party	6,325	6,929
Sweep accounts - Third party	8,850	8,863
Non-U.S. deposits and U.S. non-interest bearing deposits	147	155
Card Member credit balances - U.S. and non-U.S.	671	777
Total customer deposits	$ 42,671	$ 41,763

Cardmember credit balances (U.S. and non-U.S.) reclassified into Other Liabilities

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents third party certificate of deposit accounts offered by the Company's Banks.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_ThirdPartyCertificatesOfDeposit
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents third party sweep accounts offered by the Company's Banks.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_ThirdPartySweepAccounts
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate of all deposit liabilities held by the entity, including foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing; may include demand deposits, saving deposits, Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits among others.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.12)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 12

-Article 9

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Deposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsDomesticAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing domestic certificate of deposit liabilities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingDomesticDepositCertificatesOfDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing domestic deposit liabilities for time deposit liabilities other than certificates of deposit.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingDomesticDepositOtherTimeDeposit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing domestic savings deposit liabilities. Saving deposits bear interest and have no stated maturity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingDomesticDepositSavings
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant