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Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Pretax gains (losses)	$ 198,000,000us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember	$ 73,000,000us-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)	0us-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	0us-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)	0us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember	1,000,000us-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)	194,000,000us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis = us-gaap_NondesignatedMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember	72,000,000us-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)	$ 4,000,000us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = axp_CostOfCardMemberServicesMember	$ 0us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = axp_CostOfCardMemberServicesMember	$ 0us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = axp_CostOfCardMemberServicesMember

X

- 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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