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Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 1) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Loans segment information        
Card Member loans $ 70,385,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard $ 67,238,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard    
Less: Reserve for losses 1,201,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableAllowance 1,261,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableAllowance 1,471,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableAllowance 1,874,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableAllowance
Card Member loans, net 69,184,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableNetReportedAmount 65,977,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableNetReportedAmount    
Other loans, net 920,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableNetReportedAmountOther 608,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableNetReportedAmountOther    
Accounts Receivable and Loans Textuals [Abstract]        
Other loans, reserves 12,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableOtherAllowance 13,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableOtherAllowance    
Variable Interest Enterprise [Member]        
Loans segment information        
Card Member loans 30,115,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
31,245,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
   
U S Card Services [Member]        
Loans segment information        
Card Member loans 62,592,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember
58,395,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember
   
U S Card Services [Member] | Variable Interest Enterprise [Member]        
Accounts Receivable and Loans Textuals [Abstract]        
Gross Card Member loans available to settle the obligations of a variable interest entity 30,100,000,000axp_GrossLoansAvailableToSettleObligationsOfConsolidatedVariableInterestEntity
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
31,200,000,000axp_GrossLoansAvailableToSettleObligationsOfConsolidatedVariableInterestEntity
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_USCardServicesMember
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
   
International Card Services [Member]        
Loans segment information        
Card Member loans 7,744,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_InternationalCardServicesMember
8,790,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_InternationalCardServicesMember
   
Global Commercial Services [Member]        
Loans segment information        
Card Member loans $ 49,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_GlobalCommercialServicesMember
$ 53,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableConsumerRevolvingCreditCard
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= axp_GlobalCommercialServicesMember