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Income Taxes (Details Textuals) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014
Income Taxes (Textuals) |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | $ 430 us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit |
Unrecognized tax benefits, amounts recorded to equity | $ 317 axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEquity |
Actual tax rates | 34.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 35.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Earliest Year [Member] |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction | 2008 |
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Latest Year [Member] |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction | 2011 |

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- Definition Unrecognized tax benefits relating to amounts recorded to equity that, if recognized, would not impact the effective rate. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(2)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Subparagraph 2 -Article 4 + Details
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- Definition Tax year that remains open to examination under enacted tax laws, in CCYY format. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
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- Definition The amount of the unrecognized tax benefit of a position taken for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount thereof will significantly increase or decrease within twelve months of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
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