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Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 6) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015 Account	Mar. 31, 2014 Account
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts	14,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2	16,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2
Aggregated Outstanding Balance	$ 120us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2	$ 143us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2
Card Member Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts	11,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember	12,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance	80us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember	96us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember
Average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of Card Member loans	12.00%axp_AverageInterestRateReductionByClassOfCardmemberLoan / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember	14.00%axp_AverageInterestRateReductionByClassOfCardmemberLoan / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember
Card Member Receivables [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts	3,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember	4,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance	$ 40us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember	$ 47us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember
Average payment term extension	12axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember	12axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember

X

- Definition

The average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of cardmember loan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The average period for payment term extension for cardmember receivables modified in a TDR.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

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

X

- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 33

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953676-111524

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X

- Definition

Post-modification amount of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 33

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953676-111524

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
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- Details

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- Details

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