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Reserves For Losses (Details Textuals) - USD ($) | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2016 | Mar. 31, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2015
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Card Member receivables - other |  |  | $ (2,000,000) | $ (14,000,000)
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other |  |  | 68,000,000 | (2,000,000)
Allowance for Card Member Receivables and Reserves, Recoveries of Bad Debts |  |  | 202,000,000 | 201,000,000
Allowance for Card Member Loans, Recoveries of Bad Debts |  |  | 179,000,000 | 212,000,000
Allowance for Card Member Receivables, Recoveries of Bad Debts - TDR |  |  | 16,000,000 | 42,000,000
Allowance for Card Member Loans, Recoveries of Bad Debts - TDR |  |  | 17,000,000 | 22,000,000
CardMember loans transferred from HFS to held for investment | $ 245,000,000 |  |  |
Unauthorized Transactions [Member] |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Card Member receivables - other | 0 |  |  |
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other | 0 |  |  |
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments [Member] |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Card Member receivables - other |  |  | (1,000,000) | (7,000,000)
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other |  |  | (2,000,000) | (8,000,000)
Other Items [Member] |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Card Member receivables - other |  |  | (1,000,000) | (7,000,000)
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other |  |  | $ 3,000,000 | $ 6,000,000
CardMember loans transferred from HFS to held for investment | 245,000,000 | $ 20,000,000 |  |
CardMember reserves associated with loans held for investments | $ 60,000,000 | $ 7,000,000 |  |

X
- Definition Amount of recovery of Card Member loans related to troubled debt restructurings, which had previously been fully or partially written-off as bad debts. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AllowanceForLoansRecoveriesOfBadDebtsTDR
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
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Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of recovery of Card Member receivables related to troubled debt restructurings, which had previously been fully or partially written-off as bad debts. + References No definition available. + Details
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X
- Definition Amount of CardMember reserves associated with CardMember loans held for investments + References No definition available. + Details
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X
- Definition CardMember loans transferred from Held for Sales (HFS) to held for investment + References No definition available. + Details
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X
- Definition Represents adjustments to cardmember loans reserve including foreign currency translation adjustments and net write-offs related to unauthorized transactions for the period. + References No definition available. + Details
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X
- Definition Represents adjustments to cardmember receivables resulting from unauthorized transactions and foreign currency translation adjustments for the period. + References No definition available. + Details
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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
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X
- Definition Amount of recovery of loans and lease receivables which had previously been fully or partially written-off as bad debts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11B -Subparagraph (c)(4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=SL6953423-111524 + Details
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X
- Definition Total of recoveries of amounts due the Entity that had previously been written off as uncollectible using allowances (the valuation accounts that are netted against the cost of an asset to value it at its carrying value) and total of reestablishments of reserves (liabilities established to represent expected future costs) that had previously been utilized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24092-122690 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 09 -Article 12 + Details
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