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Investment Securities (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015 securities	Dec. 31, 2014 securities
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Qualitative Disclosure [Abstract]
Number of securities, less than 12 months	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear
Number of securities, 12 months or more	11us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear	15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear
Number of securities, total	11us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1	15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Abstract]
Estimated Fair Value, Less than 12 months	$ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue	$ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue
Estimated Fair Value, 12 months or more	73us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue	105us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue
Estimated Fair Value, Total	73us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue	105us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses [Abstract]
Gross Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses
Gross Unrealized Losses, 12 months or more	(2)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses	(3)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses
Gross Unrealized Losses, Total	(2)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses	(3)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses
Ratio Of Fair Value To Amortized Cost Between Ninety And One Hundred Percent [Member]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Qualitative Disclosure [Abstract]
Number of securities, less than 12 months	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsLessThanOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Number of securities, 12 months or more	11us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositionsGreaterThanOrEqualToOneYear / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Number of securities, total	11us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	15us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1 / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Abstract]
Estimated Fair Value, Less than 12 months	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThanTwelveMonthsFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Estimated Fair Value, 12 months or more	73us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	105us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionTwelveMonthsOrLongerFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Estimated Fair Value, Total	73us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	105us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionFairValue / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses [Abstract]
Gross Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionLessThan12MonthsAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses, 12 months or more	(2)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	(3)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember
Gross Unrealized Losses, Total	$ (2)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember	$ (3)us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses / axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostAxis = axp_RatioOfFairValueToAmortizedCostBetweenNinetyAndOneHundredPercentMember

X

- Definition

Amount of unrealized loss on securities classified as available-for-sale that have been in a loss position for twelve months or longer.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph (a)(2)

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Amount of unrealized loss on securities classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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This item represents the aggregate fair value of investments in debt and equity securities in an unrealized loss position which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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Amount of unrealized loss on investments in available-for-sale securities that have been in a loss position for less than twelve months.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 7

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27337-111563



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+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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-Section 50

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+ References

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+ References

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