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Other Assets (Details Textuals) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Prepaid expenses $ 1,626,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrentAndNoncurrent $ 1,998,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrentAndNoncurrent  
Restricted cash 384,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents 486,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents  
Amortization period of acquired finite-lived intangible assets 7 years 0 months 0 days 6 years 0 months 0 days  
Other intangible assets, at amortized cost 854,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet 817,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet  
Foreign deferred tax liabilities 96,000,000axp_ForeignDeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther    
Other Assets (Textuals) [Abstract]      
Goodwill impaired 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss  
Amortization expense 174,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 193,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 198,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Affordable housing partnership interests 622,000,000axp_AffordableHousingPartnershipInterests 541,000,000axp_AffordableHousingPartnershipInterests  
Sale of Concur Technologies 990,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestments 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestments 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestments
Gain on sale of investments in Concur Technologies 744,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal 0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal 0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
Carrying amount of Concur Technologies 246,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSoldCarryingAmount    
Customer Relationships [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Other intangible assets, at amortized cost 701,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember		 637,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember		  
Other Contracts [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Other intangible assets, at amortized cost 153,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= axp_OtherContractsMember		 180,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= axp_OtherContractsMember		  
Minimum [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Amortization period of intangible assets 3 years 0 months 0 days    
Maximum [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Amortization period of intangible assets 22 years 0 months 0 days    
Coupon and Certain Asset-Backed Securitization Maturities [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Restricted cash 64,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsCashAndCashEquivalentsAxis
= axp_CouponMember		 58,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsCashAndCashEquivalentsAxis
= axp_CouponMember		  
Airline [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Other intangible assets, at amortized cost 340,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember		 290,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember		  
Airline [Member] | Delta [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Other intangible assets, at amortized cost 206,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_DeltaMember
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember		 117,000,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_DeltaMember
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember		  
Prepaid Miles And Reward Points [Member] | Airline [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Prepaid expenses 1,100,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsAxis
= axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsMember		 1,500,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsAxis
= axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsMember		  
Prepaid Miles And Reward Points [Member] | Airline [Member] | Delta [Member]      
Other Assets [Line Items]      
Prepaid expenses $ 600,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_DeltaMember
/ axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsAxis
= axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsMember		 $ 900,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByIndustryOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_AirlineMember
/ us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivablesByLegalEntityOfCounterpartyTypeAxis
= axp_DeltaMember
/ axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsAxis
= axp_PrepaidMilesAndRewardPointsMember