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Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 6) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 Account	Dec. 31, 2013 Account	Dec. 31, 2012 Account
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts (in thousands)	13,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1	21,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1	24,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default	$ 129us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1	$ 197us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1	$ 219us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1
Card Member Loans [Member] | U S Card Services [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts (in thousands)	10,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	18,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	23,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default	85us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	159us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	182us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Card Member Receivables [Member] | U S Card Services [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts (in thousands)	3,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	3,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	1,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default	$ 44us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	$ 38us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	$ 37us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember

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- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months and for which there was a payment default.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 34

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953682-111524

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- Definition

Amount of investment related to financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous 12 months, for which there was a payment default.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 34

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953682-111524

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