Debt (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of eligible notes from Charge Trust	$ 3,000.0
Debt (Textuals) [Abstract]
Principal outstanding of Subordinated Debentures	$ 0.0	$ 750.0	$ 750.0
Convertible Subordinated Debentures Redeemable Percentage Of Principal	100.00%
Total bank lines of credit of the company	$ 3,000.0	3,000.0
Unutilized total credit lines	3,000.0	3,000.0
Fees to maintain credit lines	$ 11.5	35.1
Line of credit facility financial covenants combined earnings and fixed charges to fixed charges ratio required	1.25
Total Interest Paid	$ 1,700.0	1,600.0	$ 1,700.0
Average Commercial Paper Outstanding	491.0	943.0
American Express Charge Trust II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of eligible notes draw downs	$ 3,000.0	1,000.0
Specified date face amount of eligible notes issued	Jul. 15, 2018
American Express Lending Trust [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of eligible notes draw downs		$ 100.0
Specified date face amount of eligible notes issued	Sep. 18, 2018
Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt		6.80%

Average Commercial Paper outstanding reported as Short term debt

No definition available.

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- Definition

Ratio of combined earnings and fixed earnings to fixed charges American Express Credit Corporation (Credco) is subject to in order to maintain the availability of its credit lines.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the percentage of the principal amount the Company's Subordinated Debentures are redeemable for cash, plus any accrued but unpaid interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the amount of draw downs on the face amount of eligible notes, which are secured through a financing facility, and can be issued through a specified date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the face amount of eligible note that the Company has the right to sell up to at any time through July 15, 2016.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the specified date in which the face amount of eligible notes, which are secured through a financing facility, can be issued.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, the carrying value of convertible subordinated debt, as of the balance sheet date, initially scheduled to be repaid after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle if longer. This form of debt can be exchanged for a specified amount of another security, typically the entity's common stock, at the option of the issuer or the holder, and places a lender in a lien position behind debt having a higher priority of repayment in liquidation of the entity's assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

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- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

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- 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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- Definition

The amount of cash paid for interest during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4297-108586

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3536-108585

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of the fee for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

+ Details

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- Details

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