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Reportable Operating Segements and Geographic Operations (Details 1) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Revenues And Pretax Income Loss By Geographic Location [Line Items]
Total revenues net of interest expense	$ 9,107axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 8,329axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 8,657axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 8,199axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 8,547axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 8,301axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 8,245axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 7,881axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 34,292axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 32,974axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense	$ 31,555axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense
Pretax income	2,225us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	2,246us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	2,312us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	2,208us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	1,980us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	2,004us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	1,995us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	1,909us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	8,991us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	7,888us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	6,451us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
United States Geographic Region [Member]
Segment Revenues And Pretax Income Loss By Geographic Location [Line Items]
Total revenues net of interest expense									24,855axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_UnitedStatesGeographicRegionMember	23,745axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_UnitedStatesGeographicRegionMember	22,631axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_UnitedStatesGeographicRegionMember
Pretax income									8,869us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_UnitedStatesGeographicRegionMember	7,679us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_UnitedStatesGeographicRegionMember	6,468us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_UnitedStatesGeographicRegionMember
EMEA Geographic Region [Member]
Segment Revenues And Pretax Income Loss By Geographic Location [Line Items]
Total revenues net of interest expense									3,767axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_EmeaGeographicRegionMember	3,700axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_EmeaGeographicRegionMember	3,594axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_EmeaGeographicRegionMember
Pretax income									525us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_EmeaGeographicRegionMember	524us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_EmeaGeographicRegionMember	505us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_EmeaGeographicRegionMember
JAPA Geographic Region [Member]
Segment Revenues And Pretax Income Loss By Geographic Location [Line Items]
Total revenues net of interest expense									2,934axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_JapaGeographicRegionMember	2,952axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_JapaGeographicRegionMember	3,106axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_JapaGeographicRegionMember
Pretax income									463us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_JapaGeographicRegionMember	488us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_JapaGeographicRegionMember	426us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_JapaGeographicRegionMember
LACC Geographic Region [Member]
Segment Revenues And Pretax Income Loss By Geographic Location [Line Items]
Total revenues net of interest expense									2,888axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_LaccGeographicRegionMember	2,900axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_LaccGeographicRegionMember	2,774axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_LaccGeographicRegionMember
Pretax income									683us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_LaccGeographicRegionMember	701us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_LaccGeographicRegionMember	605us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_LaccGeographicRegionMember
Other Unallocated [Member]
Segment Revenues And Pretax Income Loss By Geographic Location [Line Items]
Total revenues net of interest expense									(152)axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_OtherUnallocatedMember	(323)axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_OtherUnallocatedMember	(550)axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_OtherUnallocatedMember
Pretax income									$ (1,549)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_OtherUnallocatedMember	$ (1,504)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_OtherUnallocatedMember	$ (1,553)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = axp_OtherUnallocatedMember

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+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)(i))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

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