XML 94 R82.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.10.0.1

Income Taxes (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2017
Income Taxes (Textuals) |  |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits change as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | $ 330 |  |  | $ 330 |
Actual tax rates | 21.90% |  | 25.80% | 21.90% | 29.70%
Unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, could impact effective tax rate. | $ 294 |  |  | $ 294 |
U.S. Tax Act Discrete Net Charge |  | $ 2,600 |  |  |
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 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 Provisional estimate or tax charges related to US tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_UsTaxActDiscreteNetCharge
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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=84230637&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=84230637&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=84230637&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=84230637&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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: |