Allowance for Credit Losses and Reserve for Unfunded Lending Commitments - Charge-Offs (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	$ 5
2024	155
2023	170
2022	171
2021	109
Prior	84
Total Term Loans	694
Revolving Loans	2,962
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	36
Total	3,692
Credit Card:
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Revolving Loans	2,942
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	36
Total	2,978
Credit Card: \| Domestic Card
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Revolving Loans	2,820
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	32
Total	2,852
Credit Card: \| International card businesses
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Revolving Loans	122
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	4
Total	126
Consumer Banking:
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	5
2024	155
2023	170
2022	164
2021	106
Prior	56
Total Term Loans	656
Revolving Loans	20
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	676
Consumer Banking: \| Auto
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	5
2024	155
2023	170
2022	164
2021	106
Prior	56
Total Term Loans	656
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	656
Consumer Banking: \| Retail banking
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	0
2024	0
2023	0
2022	0
2021	0
Prior	0
Total Term Loans	0
Revolving Loans	20
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	20
Commercial Banking:
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	0
2024	0
2023	0
2022	7
2021	3
Prior	28
Total Term Loans	38
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	38
Commercial Banking: \| Commercial and multifamily real estate
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	0
2024	0
2023	0
2022	1
2021	0
Prior	17
Total Term Loans	18
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	18
Commercial Banking: \| Commercial and industrial
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2025	0
2024	0
2023	0
2022	6
2021	3
Prior	11
Total Term Loans	20
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	$ 20

No definition available.

Name:	cof_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestTermWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	cof_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of decrease in allowance for credit loss on financing receivable from writeoff. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-6

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-13

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestAllowanceForCreditLossWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated more than five years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestOriginatedMoreThanFiveYearsBeforeCurrentFiscalYearWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of revolving financing receivable converted to term loan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6A
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-6A

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestRevolvingConvertedToTermLoanWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable that can be withdrawn, repaid, and redrawn.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestRevolvingWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated four years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearFiveOriginatedFourYearsBeforeCurrentFiscalYearWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated three years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearFourOriginatedThreeYearsBeforeCurrentFiscalYearWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated in current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearOneOriginatedCurrentFiscalYearWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated two years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearThreeOriginatedTwoYearsBeforeCurrentFiscalYearWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated in fiscal year before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableExcludingAccruedInterestYearTwoOriginatedFiscalYearBeforeCurrentFiscalYearWriteoff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- 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

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 29
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-29

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-79

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=cof_CreditCardPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_DomesticCardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_InternationalCardBusinessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_ConsumerPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_AutomobileLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_RetailBankingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_CommercialAndMultifamilyRealEstateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_CommercialAndIndustrialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: