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Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 5) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 Account bp M | Dec. 31, 2013 bp M Account | Dec. 31, 2012 Account M bp
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | 61,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 | 80,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 | 143,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 518 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 | $ 695 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 | $ 1,204 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2
Average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of Card Member loans | 1,000 axp_AverageInterestRateReductionByClassOfCardMemberLoan | 1,000 axp_AverageInterestRateReductionByClassOfCardMemberLoan | 1,200 axp_AverageInterestRateReductionByClassOfCardMemberLoan
Average payment term extension | 12 axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension | 12 axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension | 13 axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension
Accounts Receivable and Loans Textuals [Abstract] |  |  |
Difference between pre- and post-modification outstanding balances | 0 axp_FinancingReceivableModificationsDifferencePreAndPostModificationRecordedInvestment | 4 axp_FinancingReceivableModificationsDifferencePreAndPostModificationRecordedInvestment | 24 axp_FinancingReceivableModificationsDifferencePreAndPostModificationRecordedInvestment
Card Member Loans [Member] | U S Card Services [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | 46,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 60,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 106,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | 342 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 448 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 779 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Card Member Receivables [Member] | U S Card Services [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | 15,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 20,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 37,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 176 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | $ 247 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | $ 425 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember

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- Definition Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953676-111524 + Details
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