XML 84 R73.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.19.2

Income Taxes (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2019 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2019 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Examination [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Actual tax rates | 20.60% | 22.40% | 20.70% | 22.00% |
Unrecognized tax benefits change as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax | $ 112 |  | $ 112 |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, could impact effective tax rate. | $ 94 |  | $ 94 |  |
Earliest Year [Member] | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Examination [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Tax Audit Settlement Years |  |  |  |  | 2008
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction |  |  | 2015 |  |
Latest Year [Member] | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Examination [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Tax Audit Settlement Years |  |  |  |  | 2014

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 Tax years for which U.S. federal income tax audits were settled + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_TaxAuditSettlementYears
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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 + 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_IncomeTaxExaminationLineItems
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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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: | us-types:gYearListItemType
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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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: | axp_OpenTaxYearsAxis=axp_EarliestYearMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
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: |