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Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $)
 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
Disclosure of quarterly financial data                      
Total revenues net of interest expense $ 9,107,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 8,329,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 8,657,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 8,199,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 8,547,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 8,301,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 8,245,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 7,881,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 34,292,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 32,974,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense $ 31,555,000,000axp_TotalRevenuesNetOfInterestExpense
Pretax income 2,225,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 2,246,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 2,312,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 2,208,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 1,980,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 2,004,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 1,995,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 1,909,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 8,991,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 7,888,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 6,451,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Net income 1,447,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,477,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,529,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,432,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,308,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,366,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,405,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 1,280,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 5,885,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 5,359,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 4,482,000,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Earnings per Common Share                      
Basic                 $ 5.58us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare [1] $ 4.91us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare [1] $ 3.91us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare [1]
Diluted                 $ 5.56us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 4.88us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 3.89us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 1.4us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.41us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.44us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.34us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.22us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.26us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.28us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.15us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic      
Earnings per Common Share Diluted: (Note 18)                      
Continuing operations                 $ 5.56us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 4.88us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 3.89us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare
Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 1.39us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.4us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.43us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.33us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.21us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.25us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.27us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.15us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted      
Cash dividends declared per common share $ 0.26us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.26us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.26us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.23us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.23us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.23us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.23us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.2us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 1.01us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.89us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.8us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared
Common share price:                      
High 94.89axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 96.24axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 96.04axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 94.35axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 90.79axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 78.63axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 78.61axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod 67.48axp_CommonShareClosingPriceHighDuringPeriod      
Low $ 78.41axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 85.75axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 83.99axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 82.63axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 72.08axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 71.47axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 63.43axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod $ 58.31axp_CommonShareClosingPriceLowDuringPeriod      
[1]

Represents net income less earnings allocated to participating share awards of $46 million, $47 million and $49 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.