XML 112 R93.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9

Debt (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Outstanding Balance	$ 3,480,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings	$ 5,021,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
Face amount of eligible notes issued	2,000,000,000axp_FaceAmountOfEligibleNotesIssued
Short-term Debt [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.69%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember	1.04%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
Fees to maintain the secured financing facility	7,000,000axp_DebtPaidRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember	7,200,000axp_DebtPaidRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
Commercial Paper [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Outstanding Balance	769,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember	200,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
Commercial Paper [Member] | Short-term Debt [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.29%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember	0.19%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
Other Short Term Borrowings [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Outstanding Balance	2,711,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember	4,821,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember
Other Short Term Borrowings [Member] | Bank Overdrafts [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Outstanding Balance	$ 470,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / axp_ShortTermDebtOtherTypeAxis = us-gaap_BankOverdraftsMember / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember	$ 489,000,000us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings / axp_ShortTermDebtOtherTypeAxis = us-gaap_BankOverdraftsMember / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember
Other Short Term Borrowings [Member] | Short-term Debt [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.81%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember	1.08%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember / axp_TypeOfDebtAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember

X

- Definition

Represents the fees paid to maintain the Company's short-term secured financing facilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_DebtPaidRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the face amount of eligible notes, which are secured through a financing facility, and can be issued through a specified date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_FaceAmountOfEligibleNotesIssued
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Reflects the total carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of debt having initial terms less than one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Subparagraph a

-Article 5



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.(a),16(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910



Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Subparagraph a(1)

-Article 7



Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph 2, 3

-Article 9

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=axp_OtherShortTermBorrowingsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: