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Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Details 3) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] |  |  |
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items] |  |  |
Pretax gains (losses) | $ 198,000,000 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember | $ 73,000,000 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember | $ (58,000,000)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Interest Expense [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] |  |  |
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items] |  |  |
Pretax gains (losses) | 0 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_LongTermDebtMember | 0 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_LongTermDebtMember | (1,000,000)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_LongTermDebtMember
Other Expense [Member] | Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] |  |  |
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items] |  |  |
Pretax gains (losses) | 0 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember | 1,000,000 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember | (1,000,000)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember
Other Expense [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] |  |  |
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items] |  |  |
Pretax gains (losses) | 194,000,000 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember | 72,000,000 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember | (56,000,000)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember
Cost Of Card Member Services [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] |  |  |
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items] |  |  |
Pretax gains (losses) | $ 4,000,000 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = axp_CostOfCardMemberServicesMember | $ 0 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = axp_CostOfCardMemberServicesMember | $ 0 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = axp_CostOfCardMemberServicesMember

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- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) in the fair value of derivatives recognized in the income statement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4A -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35706170&loc=SL5618551-113959 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -Subparagraph (a),(c),(d),(e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35706170&loc=SL5624171-113959 + Details
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