XML 22 R79.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.2.0.727

Income Taxes (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2015 | Jun. 30, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2015 | Jun. 30, 2014
Income Taxes (Textuals) |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | $ 448 |  | $ 448 |
Unrecognized tax benefits, amounts recorded to equity | $ 306 |  | $ 306 |
Actual tax rates | 33.90% | 33.90% | 34.00% | 34.50%
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 |

X
- Definition Income Taxes. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_IncomeTaxesTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Unrecognized tax benefits relating to amounts recorded to equity that, if recognized, would not impact the effective rate. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEquity
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- 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 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319 Reference 2: 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 3: 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 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
Name: | us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxContingencyLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- 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
Name: | us-gaap_OpenTaxYear
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:gYearItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- 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
Name: | us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | axp_OpenTaxYearsAxis=axp_EarliestYearMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | axp_OpenTaxYearsAxis=axp_LatestYearMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |