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Non-Interest Revenue and Expense Detail (Details 1) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Details Of Certain Statements Of Income Lines Details [Abstract] |  |  |
Gain on sale of investment in Concur Technologies | $ 744,000,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal | $ 0 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal | $ 0 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
Global Network Services partner revenues | 694,000,000 axp_GlobalNetworkServicesPartnerRevenues | 650,000,000 axp_GlobalNetworkServicesPartnerRevenues | 664,000,000 axp_GlobalNetworkServicesPartnerRevenues
Net realized gains on investment securities | 100,000,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet | 136,000,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet | 126,000,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet
Other | 1,451,000,000 axp_OtherRevenues | 1,488,000,000 axp_OtherRevenues | 1,635,000,000 axp_OtherRevenues
Total Other revenues | 2,989,000,000 us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome | 2,274,000,000 us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome | 2,425,000,000 us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome
Gross realized losses on investment securities | $ 0 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses | $ 0 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses | $ 1,000,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses

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- Definition Represents revenues received from Global Network Service partners on use of the American Express brand name. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Additionally, this item would include any losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments in debt and equity securities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563 + Details
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- Definition This item represents the gross loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563 + Details
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- Definition Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of an equity method investment. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents other forms of revenue earned, excluding interest, which is not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph 13 -Article 9 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913 + Details
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