XML 77 R65.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.4.0.3

Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives assets	$ 624	$ 544
Total fair value of derivatives liabilties	456	201
Other Assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Cash collateral netting	(324)	(155)
Derivative asset and liability netting	(120)	(107)
Total derivative assets, net	180	282
Other Assets [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives assets	504	427
Other Assets [Member] | Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives assets	391	236
Other Assets [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives assets	113	191
Other Assets [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives assets	120	117
Other Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Cash collateral netting	0	0
Derivative asset and liability netting	(120)	(107)
Total derivative liabilities, net	336	94
Other Liabilities [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives liabilties	279	66
Other Liabilities [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives liabilties	177	135
Other Liabilities [Member] | Fair Value Hedging [Member] | Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives liabilties	0	9
Other Liabilities [Member] | Net Investment Hedging [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total fair value of derivatives liabilties	279	57
Risk Exposure Low [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total derivative assets, net	0	483
Total derivative liabilities, net	0	0
Individually Significant Counterparties [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total derivative assets, net	0	0
Total derivative liabilities, net	$ 0	$ 0

X

- Definition

Represents the netting of cash collateral received and posted under credit support agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_CashCollateralNetting
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Represents the netting of derivative assets and liabilities under master netting agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_DerivativeAssetAndLiabilityNetting
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets elected not to be offset. Includes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_FairValueOfDerivativeAsset
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial liability or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets elected not to be offset. Includes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axp_FairValueOfDerivativeLiability
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Fair value, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41271-113958

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41228-113958

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13495-108611

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226008-175313

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Fair value, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226008-175313

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13495-108611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41271-113958

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41228-113958

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=axp_RiskExposureLowMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=axp_SignificantCounterpartiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: