XML 91 R79.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.7.0.1

Income Taxes (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2016
Income Taxes (Textuals) |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | $ 104 |
Decrease in Unrecognized tax benefits, amounts recorded to equity | $ 331 |
Actual tax rates | 31.90% | 34.70%
Tax Benefit Recognized in the period | $ 289 |
Unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, could impact effective tax rate. | $ 71 |
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 | 2014 |

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 Represents amount that if recognized would impact the Company's results of operations of its effective tax rate. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsPossibleImpact
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=65882285&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=65882285&loc=d3e32687-109319 + 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=65882285&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=65882285&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) to previously recorded tax expense. Includes, but is not limited to, significant settlements of income tax disputes, and unusual tax positions or infrequent actions taken by the entity, including tax assessment reversal, and IRS tax settlement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68052875&loc=d3e28446-109314 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68052875&loc=d3e28511-109314 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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: |