Label	Element	Value
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	$ 41,625,000,000	[1]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	40,739,000,000	[1]
Geographic Distribution, Foreign [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	0
Wealth Management Loans And Mortgages [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	8,000,000
Commercial Real Estate Loans [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	90,000,000
Commercial Loans [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	17,000,000
Lease Financings [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	3,000,000
Other Residential Mortgages [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	15,000,000
Financial Institutions [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	14,000,000
AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	(3,261,000,000)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	(2,643,000,000)
Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	14,000,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	14,000,000
Treasury Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	(18,844,000,000)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	(15,517,000,000)
Retained Earnings [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	28,742,000,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	31,939,000,000
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	27,118,000,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	27,515,000,000
Preferred Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	3,542,000,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	3,542,000,000
Noncontrolling Interest In Consolidated Entity [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	101,000,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	102,000,000
Temporary Equity Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	129,000,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Adjusted Balance	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestAdjustedBalance1	143,000,000
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member] | AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	(90,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	90,000,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Foreign [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	(24,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Wealth Management Loans And Mortgages [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	(12,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Loans [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	14,000,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Commercial Loans [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	(43,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Lease Financings [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	0
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Other Residential Mortgages [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	2,000,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | Financial Institutions [Member] | Geographic Distribution, Domestic [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses	(6,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member] | AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ (5,000,000)

[1] Includes total The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation common shareholders’ equity of $37,096 million at Dec. 31, 2018 and $37,683 million at March 31, 2019.