XML 72 R61.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.21.1

Fair Values (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Mar. 31, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2020
--- | --- | ---
Card Member Receivables |  |
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Financing receivables, gross | $ 42,002 | $ 43,701
Card Member Loans |  |
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Financing receivables, gross | 70,100 | 73,373
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Card Member Receivables |  |
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Financing receivables, gross | 4,221 | 4,296
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Card Member Loans |  |
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Financing receivables, gross | 24,088 | 25,908
Carrying Value |  |
Financial assets for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | 40,000 | 33,000
Other financial assets | 44,000 | 46,000
Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |
Card Member and Other loans, less reserves | 68,000 | 71,000
Financial Liabilities: |  |
Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value | 103,000 | 101,000
Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |
Certificates of deposit | 7,000 | 8,000
Long-term debt | 42,000 | 43,000
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Long-term debt | 42,000 | 43,000
Corresponding Fair Value Amount |  |
Financial assets for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | 40,000 | 33,000
Other financial assets | 44,000 | 46,000
Financial Liabilities: |  |
Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value | 103,000 | 101,000
Corresponding Fair Value Amount | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Card Member Receivables |  |
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Financing receivables, gross | 4,200 | 4,200
Corresponding Fair Value Amount | Level 1 |  |
Financial assets for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | 39,000 | 31,000
Other financial assets | 0 | 0
Financial Liabilities: |  |
Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value | 0 | 0
Corresponding Fair Value Amount | Level 2 |  |
Financial assets for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | 1,000 | 2,000
Other financial assets | 44,000 | 46,000
Financial Liabilities: |  |
Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value | 103,000 | 101,000
Corresponding Fair Value Amount | Level 3 |  |
Financial assets for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | 0 | 0
Other financial assets | 0 | 0
Financial Liabilities: |  |
Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value | 0 | 0
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement |  |
Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |
Card Member and Other loans, less reserves | 72,000 | 75,000
Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |
Certificates of deposit | 7,000 | 8,000
Long-term debt | 44,000 | 45,000
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Long-term debt | 44,000 | 45,000
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary |  |
Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |
Long-term debt | 13,000 | 13,000
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Long-term debt | 13,000 | 13,000
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Card Member Loans |  |
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Financing receivables, gross | 24,200 | 25,800
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement | Level 1 |  |
Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |
Card Member and Other loans, less reserves | 0 | 0
Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |
Certificates of deposit | 0 | 0
Long-term debt | 0 | 0
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Long-term debt | 0 | 0
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement | Level 2 |  |
Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |
Card Member and Other loans, less reserves | 0 | 0
Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |
Certificates of deposit | 7,000 | 8,000
Long-term debt | 44,000 | 45,000
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Long-term debt | 44,000 | 45,000
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement | Level 3 |  |
Financial assets carried at other than fair value |  |
Card Member and Other loans, less reserves | 72,000 | 75,000
Financial liabilities carried at other than fair value |  |
Certificates of deposit | 0 | 0
Long-term debt | 0 | 0
Fair Values (Textuals) |  |
Long-term debt | $ 0 | $ 0

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AssetsCarriedAtOtherThanFairValueAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_FairValuesTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Financial assets for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value include cash and cash equivalents, cardmember receivables, accrued interest, and certain other assets. For these assets, the carrying values approximate fair value because they are short-term in duration or variable rate in nature. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_FinancialInstrumentsAssetsWhichCarryingValuesEqualOrApproximateFairValueAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Financial liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value include accrued interest, customer deposits (excluding certificates of deposit), Travelers Cheques outstanding, short-term borrowings, and certain other liabilities for which the carrying values approximate fair value because they are short-term in duration, variable rate in nature, or have no defined maturity. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_FinancialInstrumentsLiabilitiesWhichCarryingValuesEqualOrApproximateFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_LiabilitiesCarriedAtOtherThanFairValueAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes 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 No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fair value portion of deposit liabilities held by the entity, including, but not limited to, foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing, demand deposits, saving deposits, negotiable orders of withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DepositsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsFinancialLiabilitiesBalanceSheetGroupingsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Fair value portion of loan receivable, including, but not limited to, mortgage loans held for investment, finance receivables held for investment, policy loans on insurance contracts. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2196772 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LoansReceivableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount, before allowance for credit loss, of financing receivable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 79 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922352-210448 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919230-210447 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 80 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922355-210448 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fair value portion of other assets. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OtherAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_PortionAtOtherThanFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |