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v2.4.1.9

Income Taxes (Details Textuals) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes (Textuals) |  |  |  |
U.S. statutory federal income tax rate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate |
Aggregate of federal taxes | $ 3,000,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential |  |  |
Income taxes paid | 2,500,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet | 2,000,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet | 1,900,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet |
Unrecognized tax benefits | 909,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 1,044,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 1,230,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 1,223,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | 489,000,000 us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits that affect effective tax rate | 412,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 427,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 452,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate |
Unrecognized tax benefits, amounts recorded to equity | 369,000,000 axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEquity |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits impact not possible to quantify | 0 axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleQuantifyImpactNotPossible |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits income tax penalties and interest expense | 19,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | 31,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | 8,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense |
Unrecognized tax benefits income tax penalties and interest accrued | 126,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued | 144,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued |  |
Income Taxes Of Non Us Subsidiaries [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Accumulated earnings intended to be permanently reinvested outside the U.S. | 9,700,000,000 axp_AccumulatedEarningsToBePermanentlyReinvestedOutsideUnitedStates |  |  |
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Earliest Year [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction | 2008 |  |  |
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Latest Year [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction | 2011 |  |  |
International [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Taxes Of Non Us Subsidiaries [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Benefits related to the realization of certain foreign tax credits |  |  | $ 146,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsForeign / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_InternationalMember |
Decrease in tax rate related to the realization of certain foreign tax credits |  |  | 2.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsForeign / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_InternationalMember |

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