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Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details 7) (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	3,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1	3,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default	$ 11us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1	$ 27us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1
Card Member Loans [Member] | U S Card Services [Member]
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Number of Accounts	2,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	2,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default	10us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberLoansMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	20us-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	1,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	1,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultNumberOfContracts1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember
Aggregated Outstanding Balance Upon Payment Default	$ 1us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsSubsequentDefaultRecordedInvestment1 / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableTroubledDebtRestructuringAxis = axp_CardmemberReceivablesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = axp_USCardServicesMember	$ 7us-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

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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

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