XML 90 R72.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Loans and Accounts Receivable (Details 6) Account in Thousands, $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) Account M bp | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Account M bp | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Account M bp
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | Account | 39 | 40 | 52
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 307 | $ 343 | $ 432
Accounts Receivable and Loans Textuals [Abstract] |  |  |
Difference between pre- and post-modification outstanding balances | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0
U S Consumer Services [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | Account | 39 | 40 |
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 307 | $ 343 |
Card Member Loans [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | Account | 33 | 31 | 40
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 224 | $ 220 | $ 285
Card Member Loans [Member] | U S Consumer Services [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Average Interest Rate Reduction By Class Of Financial Instrument | bp | 10 | 9 | 9
Card Member Receivables [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | Account | 6 | 9 | 12
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 83 | $ 123 | $ 147
Card Member Receivables [Member] | U S Consumer Services [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of Accounts (in thousands) | Account | 6 | 9 |
Aggregated Outstanding Balance | $ 83 | $ 123 |
Average Payment Term Extension | M | 28 | 18 | 12

X
- Definition Accounts Receivable and Loans. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AccountsReceivableAndLoansTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of Financial Instrument + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AverageInterestRateReductionByClassOfFinancialInstrument
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The average period for payment term extension for Card Member receivables modified in a TDR. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AveragePaymentTermExtension
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Difference between pre-modification and post-modification amounts of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_FinancingReceivableModificationsDifferencePreAndPostModificationRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
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_FinancingReceivableModificationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953676-111524 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsNumberOfContracts2
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Post-modification amount of investment in financing receivables modified by troubled debt restructurings. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953676-111524 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=axp_USCardServicesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=axp_CardMemberLoansMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=axp_CardMemberReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |