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Reserves For Losses (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2016
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |
Card Member receivables reserves for losses - other | $ 5 | $ 1
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other | 11 | 11
Allowance for Card Member Receivables and Reserves, Recoveries of Bad Debts | 93 | 101
Allowance for Card Member Loans, Recoveries of Bad Debts | 100 | 88
Allowance for Card Member Receivables, Recoveries of Bad Debts - TDR | 6 | 10
Allowance for Card Member Loans, Recoveries of Bad Debts - TDR | 12 | 13
Unauthorized Transactions [Member] |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |
Card Member receivables reserves for losses - 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 reserves for losses - other | 9 | 2
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other | 7 | 2
Other Items [Member] |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |
Card Member receivables reserves for losses - other | (4) | (1)
Card Member loans reserves for losses - other | $ 4 | 2
CardMember loans transferred from HFS to held for investment |  | 20
CardMember reserves associated with loans held for investments |  | $ 7

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
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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=66008989&loc=SL6953423-111524 + Details
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X
- Definition Amount of increase in the allowances and reserves, which consist of the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, from recoveries of amounts previously written off or reestablishment of reserves 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 -Subparagraph (SX 210.12-09) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24092-122690 + Details
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