XML 46 R34.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.21.2

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables) | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2021
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract] |
Components of comprehensive income (loss), net of tax | Changes in each component for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 (Millions), net of tax |  | Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Debt Securities |  | Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Gains (Losses) |  | Net Unrealized Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Gains (Losses) |  | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balances as of June 30, 2021 |  | $ | 42 |  |  | $ | (2,227) |  |  | $ | (696) |  |  | $ | (2,881) |
Net unrealized losses |  | (8) |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (8) |
Net translation on investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | (238) |  |  | — |  |  | (238) |
Net hedges of investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | 155 |  |  | — |  |  | 155 |
Pension and other postretirement benefits |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 9 |  |  | 9 |
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |  | (8) |  |  | (83) |  |  | 9 |  |  | (82) |
Balances as of September 30, 2021 |  | $ | 34 |  |  | $ | (2,310) |  |  | $ | (687) |  |  | $ | (2,963) |
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 (Millions), net of tax |  | Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Debt Securities |  | Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Gains (Losses) |  | Net Unrealized Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Gains (Losses) |  | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balances as of December 31, 2020 |  | $ | 65 |  |  | $ | (2,229) |  |  | $ | (731) |  |  | $ | (2,895) |
Net unrealized losses |  | (31) |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (31) |
Net translation on investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | (134) |  |  | — |  |  | (134) |
Net hedges of investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | 53 |  |  | — |  |  | 53 |
Pension and other postretirement benefits |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 44 |  |  | 44 |
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |  | (31) |  |  | (81) |  |  | 44 |  |  | (68) |
Balances as of September 30, 2021 |  | $ | 34 |  |  | $ | (2,310) |  |  | $ | (687) |  |  | $ | (2,963) |
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 (Millions), net of tax |  | Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Debt Securities |  | Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Gains (Losses) |  | Net Unrealized Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Gains (Losses) |  | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balances as of June 30, 2020 |  | $ | 85 |  |  | $ | (2,388) |  |  | $ | (608) |  |  | $ | (2,911) |
Net unrealized losses |  | (9) |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (9) |
Net translation on investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | 210 |  |  | — |  |  | 210 |
Net hedges of investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | (170) |  |  | — |  |  | (170) |
Pension and other postretirement benefits |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 8 |  |  | 8 |
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |  | (9) |  |  | 40 |  |  | 8 |  |  | 39 |
Balances as of September 30, 2020 |  | $ | 76 |  |  | $ | (2,348) |  |  | $ | (600) |  |  | $ | (2,872) |
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 (Millions), net of tax |  | Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Debt Securities |  | Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Gains (Losses) |  | Net Unrealized Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Gains (Losses) |  | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balances as of December 31, 2019 |  | $ | 33 |  |  | $ | (2,189) |  |  | $ | (581) |  |  | $ | (2,737) |
Net unrealized gains |  | 43 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 43 |
Decrease due to amounts reclassified into earnings |  | — |  |  | (3) |  |  | — |  |  | (3) |
Net translation on investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | (379) |  |  | — |  |  | (379) |
Net hedges of investments in foreign operations |  | — |  |  | 223 |  |  | — |  |  | 223 |
Pension and other postretirement benefits |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (19) |  |  | (19) |
Net change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |  | 43 |  |  | (159) |  |  | (19) |  |  | (135) |
Balances as of September 30, 2020 |  | $ | 76 |  |  | $ | (2,348) |  |  | $ | (600) |  |  | $ | (2,872) |
AOCI income tax effect | The following table shows the tax impact for the three and nine months ended September 30 for the changes in each component of AOCI presented above:
|  | Tax expense (benefit)
|  | Three Months Ended September 30, |  | Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Millions) |  | 2021 |  | 2020 |  | 2021 |  | 2020
Net unrealized (losses) gains on debt securities |  | $ | (3) |  |  | $ | (3) |  |  | $ | (9) |  |  | $ | 13 |
Net translation on investments in foreign operations |  | (2) |  |  | (14) |  |  | 3 |  |  | 10 |
Net hedges of investments in foreign operations |  | 47 |  |  | (57) |  |  | 12 |  |  | 67 |
Pension and other postretirement benefits |  | 5 |  |  | (1) |  |  | 18 |  |  | 10 |
Total tax impact |  | $ | 47 |  |  | $ | (75) |  |  | $ | 24 |  |  | $ | 100 |

X
- Definition Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Income Tax Effect Disclosure [Table Text Block] + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | axp_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveLossIncomeTaxEffectDisclosureTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | axp_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of components of comprehensive income (loss). Includes, but is not limited to, foreign currency translation adjustments, foreign currency transactions designated as economic hedges of a net investment in foreign entity, gain (loss) and prior service cost (credit) for pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124509347&loc=d3e526-108580 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfComprehensiveIncomeLossTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration