XML 116 R119.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other non-interest revenue	$ 2,989,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome	$ 2,274,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome	$ 2,425,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome
Interest Expense, Long-term Debt	1,334,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt	1,516,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt	1,746,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt
Other expense	6,089,000,000us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense	6,796,000,000us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense	6,851,000,000us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense
Net Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) on Investment Securities [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other non-interest revenue	111,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	145,000,000us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Income tax provision for other non-interest revenue	(40,000,000)axp_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncomeTax / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	(52,000,000)axp_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncomeTax / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Increase (decrease) due to amounts reclassified into earnings	71,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	93,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other expense	(9,000,000)us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember	0us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember
Income tax benefit for other, net expense	4,000,000axp_OtherNonInterestExpenseTax / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember	0axp_OtherNonInterestExpenseTax / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember
Increase (decrease) due to amounts reclassified into earnings	(5,000,000)axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember	0axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) due to amounts reclassified into earnings	$ 66,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember	$ 93,000,000axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember

X

- Definition

Represents the income tax provision related to other forms of revenue earned, excluding interest, which is not otherwise specified in the taxonomy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncomeTax
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Total realized gain/loss that has been included as a separate component of shareholders' equity during the period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_OtherComprehensiveIncomeReclassification
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Income tax benefit to other noninterest expenses that are not separately presented in any other noninterest expense category

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_OtherNonInterestExpenseTax
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Aggregate amount of interest paid or due on all long-term debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 8

-Article 9



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.8)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestExpenseLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOtherOperatingIncome
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Other noninterest expenses that are not separately presented in any other noninterest expense category.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.14)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationAdjustmentOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: