Accrued Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011
Accrued and Other Liabilities [Abstract]
Accrued operating expenses	$ 194		$ 175
Visa Europe put option-(See Note 2-Visa Europe)	145	[1]	145	[1]
Deferred revenue	59		63
Accrued marketing and product expenses	22		36
Accrued income taxes-(See Note 20-Income Taxes)	58		63
Other	106		80
Total	$ 584		$ 562
Maximum number of days within which the Company is required to purchase the shares of Visa Europe put option	285 days

[1] The put option is exercisable at any time at the sole discretion of Visa Europe with payment required 285 days thereafter. Classification in current liabilities is not an indication of management’s expectation of exercise and simply reflects the fact that the obligation resulting from the exercise of the instrument could become payable within 12 months.