XML 86 R72.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.10.0.1

Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017
Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Textuals) [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |
Net reduction in interest expense on long term debt and other | $ (13) | $ 37 | $ 1 | $ 81 |
Margin On Interest Rate Swap Not Netted | 118 |  | 118 |  | $ 146
Derivative [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount of long-term debt | 23,200 |  | 23,200 |  | 23,600
Gross amount of hedged item | 23,700 |  | 23,700 |  | 23,800
Cummulative fair value hedging adjustment of hedged item in fair value hedge | (451) |  | (451) |  | $ (182)
Other Expense [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Derivative [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gain (Loss) in Changes of Fair Value of Derivatives not designated as hedges | 55 | (4) | 34 | (21) |
Gain on embedded derivatives | (4) | (3) | (6) | (2) |
Net Investment Hedges [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Derivative [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Effective portion of gain (loss) on hedges | $ 320 | $ (102) | 158 | (331) |
Net Investment Hedges [Member] | Other Expense [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Derivative [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amount reclassified from AOCI into income |  |  | 1 | 0 |
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net |  |  | $ 1 | $ 0 |

X
- Definition Changes in the fair value of the derivatives and the related underlying foreign currency exposure + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_ChangesInFairValueOfDerivativesNotDesignatedAsHedges
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Cummulative FV hedging adjustments + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_CummulativeFairValueHedgingAdjustmentOfHedgedItemInFairValueHedge
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Derivatives and Hedging Activities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_DerivativesAndHedgingActivitiesTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Fixed Rate debt in FV hedging relationships + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_GrossAmountOfHedgedItem
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount posted as initial margin for centrally cleared interest rate swaps which is not netted against the derivative balances. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_MarginOnInterestRateSwapNotNetted
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Represents the amount of a net reduction to interest expense on long-term debt and other, primarily related to the net settlements on the Company's fair value hedges. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_NetReductionToInterestExpenseLongTermDebtAndOtherRelatedToNetSettlementsOnFairValueHedges
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of the hedged item as of the balance sheet date related to the derivative. For example, the hedged balance on a debt instrument. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DerivativeAmountOfHedgedItem
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The effective portion of net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234895&loc=SL5624171-113959 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4D -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234895&loc=SL5624177-113959 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossReclassifiedFromAccumulatedOCIIntoIncomeEffectivePortionNet
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
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_DerivativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Increase in the fair value of the embedded derivative or group of embedded derivatives included in earnings in the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234895&loc=SL5624171-113959 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EmbeddedDerivativeGainOnEmbeddedDerivative
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) in the cumulative translation adjustment from gain (loss), after tax, on foreign currency derivatives, that are designated as, and are effective as, economic hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 20 -Subparagraph (b),(c),(d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64808268&loc=d3e32211-110900 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TranslationAdjustmentForNetInvestmentHedgeNetOfTaxPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |