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Asset Securitizations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Sep. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Assets from Trusts [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Restricted cash included in Other assets per Consolidated Balance Sheets | $ 1,032 | $ 337 | $ 2,087 | $ 286
Variable Interest Entity |  |  |  |
Assets from Trusts [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Restricted cash included in Other assets per Consolidated Balance Sheets | 783 | 62 |  |
American Express Charge Trust [Member] | Variable Interest Entity |  |  |  |
Assets from Trusts [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Restricted cash included in Other assets per Consolidated Balance Sheets | 0 | 7 |  |
American Express Lending Trust [Member] | Variable Interest Entity |  |  |  |
Assets from Trusts [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Restricted cash included in Other assets per Consolidated Balance Sheets | $ 783 | $ 55 |  |

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- Definition Amount of cash and cash equivalents restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Cash includes, but is not limited to, currency on hand, demand deposits with banks or financial institutions, and other accounts with general characteristics of demand deposits. Cash equivalents include, but are not limited to, short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. + References Reference 1: 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(1)(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 Reference 2: 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)(2)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=SL98516268-108586 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3044-108585 Reference 5: 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(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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