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Investment Securities (Details Textuals) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Investment Securities (Details) [Abstract]
Other-than-temporary impairments recognized during the period	$ 0us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesRealizedGainLossOtherThanTemporaryImpairmentsAmount		$ 0us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesRealizedGainLossOtherThanTemporaryImpairmentsAmount
Gain on sale of securities	0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGains	39us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGains
Losses on sale of securities	$ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses	$ 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLosses

X

- Details

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

X

- Definition

This item represents the gross profit realized on the sale of debt or equity securities 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

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

This item represents the gross loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities 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

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

This element represents the amount of loss recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of investments in debt and equity securities.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.M)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011274&loc=d3e87990-122713

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