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Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 7) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 Account | Mar. 31, 2014 Account
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |
Number of Accounts | 3,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 | 3,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default | $ 11 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 | $ 27 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1
Card Member Loans [Member] | U S Card Services [Member] |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |
Number of Accounts | 2,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 2,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default | 10 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 20 us-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 | 1,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | 1,000 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default | $ 1 us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember | $ 7 us-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 + Details
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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 + Details
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