Pension, Postretirement and Other Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Change in Benefit Obligation

Change in Benefit Obligation:

	U.S. Plans												Non-U.S. Plans
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits						Pension Benefits
	September 30,						September 30,						September 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016			2017			2016
	(in millions)
Benefit obligation—beginning of fiscal year	$	1,072		$	1,005		$	14		$	18		$	474		$	—
Visa Europe acquisition	—			—			—			—			—			381
Service cost	—			13			—			—			6			1
Interest cost	36			40			1			1			11			3
Actuarial loss (gain)	(58		)	86			(1		)	(2		)	(52		)	86
Benefit payments	(137		)	(64		)	(3		)	(3		)	(14		)	(1		)
Plan amendment	—			(8		)	—			—			—			—
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	—			—			—			—			8			4
Benefit obligation—end of fiscal year	$	913		$	1,072		$	11		$	14		$	433		$	474
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	913		$	1,072		NA			NA			$	433		$	474
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets—beginning of fiscal year	$	1,077		$	1,022		$	—		$	—		$	415		$	—
Visa Europe acquisition	—			—			—			—			—			287
Actual return on plan assets	125			118			—			—			17			25
Company contribution	9			1			3			3			5			102
Benefit payments	(137		)	(64		)	(3		)	(3		)	(14		)	(1		)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	—			—			—			—			10			2
Fair value of plan assets—end of fiscal year	$	1,074		$	1,077		$	—		$	—		$	433		$	415
Funded status at end of fiscal year	$	161		$	5		$	(11	)	$	(14	)	$	—		$	(59	)
Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Non-current asset	$	168		$	22		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Current liability	(1		)	(9		)	(2		)	(3		)	(5		)	(6		)
Non-current liability	(6		)	(8		)	(9		)	(11		)	5			(53		)
Funded status at end of fiscal year	$	161		$	5		$	(11	)	$	(14	)	$	—		$	(59	)

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income before tax

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income before tax:

	U.S. Plans										Non-U.S. Plans
	Pension Benefits				Other Postretirement Benefits						Pension Benefits
	September 30,				September 30,						September 30,
	2017		2016		2017			2016			2017		2016
	(in millions)
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	97	$	241	$	(4	)	$	(5	)	$	9	$	66
Prior service credit	—		—		—			(2		)	—		—
Total	$	97	$	241	$	(4	)	$	(7	)	$	9	$	66

Amounts from accumulated other comprehensive income to be amortized into net periodic benefit costs

Amounts from accumulated other comprehensive income to be amortized into net periodic benefit cost in fiscal 2018:

	U.S. Plans					Non-U.S. Plans
	Pension Benefits		Other Postretirement  Benefits			Pension Benefits
	(in millions)
Actuarial loss (gain)	$	—	$	(1	)	$	—
Prior service credit	—		—			—
Total	$	—	$	(1	)	$	—

Benefit obligations in excess of plan assets related to the Company's U.S. non-qualified plan and the non-U.S. pension plans

Benefit obligations in excess of plan assets related to the Company's U.S. non-qualified plan and the non-U.S. pension plans⁽¹⁾ :

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans(1)
	September 30,						September 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016
	(in millions)
Accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets
Accumulated benefit obligation—end of year	$	(7	)	$	(16	)	$	(5	)	$	(474	)
Fair value of plan assets—end of year	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	415
Projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets
Benefit obligation—end of year	$	(7	)	$	(16	)	$	(5	)	$	(474	)
Fair value of plan assets—end of year	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	415

⁽¹⁾  For fiscal 2017, the non-U.S. non-qualified pension plan had benefit obligations in excess of plan assets. For fiscal 2016, both non-U.S. pension plans had benefit obligations in excess of plan assets.

Net periodic pension and other postretirement plan cost

Net periodic pension and other postretirement plan cost:

	U.S. Plans																		Non-U.S. Plans(1)
	Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement Benefits									Pension Benefits
	Fiscal
	2017			2016			2015			2017			2016			2015			2017			2016
	(in millions)
Service cost	$	—		$	13		$	47		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	6		$	1
Interest cost	36			40			40			1			1			1			11			3
Expected return on assets	(70		)	(69		)	(72		)	—			—			—			(16		)	(4		)
Amortization of:
Prior service credit	—			(1		)	(7		)	(2		)	(3		)	(3		)	—			—
Actuarial loss (gain)	15			7			1			(2		)	(2		)	(2		)	2			—
Net benefit cost	$	(19	)	$	(10	)	$	9		$	(3	)	$	(4	)	$	(4	)	$	3		$	—
Curtailment gain	—			(8		)	—			—			—			—			—			—
Settlement loss	15			13			7			—			—			—			—			—
Total net periodic benefit cost	$	(4	)	$	(5	)	$	16		$	(3	)	$	(4	)	$	(4	)	$	3		$	—

⁽¹⁾  For fiscal 2016, it represents Visa Europe's UK pension plans' net pension benefit cost recognized from the Closing through September 30, 2016.

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income:

	U.S. Plans											Non-U.S. Plans
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits					Pension Benefits
	2017			2016			2017		2016			2017			2016
	(in millions)
Current year actuarial loss (gain)	$	(113	)	$	30		$	—	$	(2	)	$	(53	)	$	66
Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain	(30		)	(20		)	2		2			(2		)	—
Current year prior service credit	—			—			—		—			—			—
Amortization of prior service credit	—			9			2		3			—			—
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	$	(143	)	$	19		$	4	$	3		$	(55	)	$	66
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	(147	)	$	14		$	1	$	(1	)	$	(52	)	$	66

Weighted Average Actuarial Assumptions

Weighted-Average Actuarial Assumptions:

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Fiscal
	2017		2016		2015		2017		2016
Discount rate for benefit obligation:(1)
Pension	3.84	%	3.62	%	4.33	%	2.70	%	2.40	%
Postretirement	2.44	%	1.91	%	2.43	%	NA		NA
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost:
Pension	3.62	%	4.33	%	4.27	%	2.40	%	3.10	%
Postretirement	1.91	%	2.43	%	2.59	%	NA		NA
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets(2)	7.00	%	7.00	%	7.00	%	4.50	%	3.92	%
Rate of increase in compensation levels for:(3)
Benefit obligation	NA		NA		4.00	%	3.20	%	3.20	%
Net periodic benefit cost	NA		NA		4.00	%	3.20	%	3.00	%

⁽¹⁾  Represents a single weighted-average discount rate derived based on a cash flow matching analysis, with the projected benefit payments matching spot rates from a yield curve developed from high-quality corporate bonds.

⁽²⁾  Primarily based on the targeted allocation, and evaluated for reasonableness by considering such factors as: (i) actual return on plan assets; (ii) historical rates of return on various asset classes in the portfolio; (iii) projections of returns on various asset classes; and (iv) current and prospective capital market conditions and economic forecasts.

⁽³⁾  This assumption is not applicable for the U.S. plans in fiscal 2017 and 2016 due to the amendment of the U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan in October 2015, which discontinued the employer provided credits effective after December 31, 2015.

Employer contribution cash flows

Cash Flows

	U.S. Plans				Non-U.S. Plans
	Pension Benefits		Other Postretirement Benefits		Pension Benefits
Actual employer contributions	(in millions)
2017	$	9	$	3	$	5
2016	$	1	$	3	$	102
Expected employer contributions
2018	$	1	$	2	$	5
Expected benefit payments
2018	$	161	$	2	$	5
2019	$	83	$	2	$	5
2020	$	82	$	2	$	5
2021	$	80	$	1	$	5
2022	$	75	$	1	$	5
2023-2027	$	323	$	1	$	29

U.S. Plans

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Pension plan investments at fair value

The following tables set forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the pension plan’s investments at fair value as of September 30, 2017 and 2016, including the impact of transactions that were not settled at the end of September:

	U.S. Plans
	Fair Value Measurements at September 30,
	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
	2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016
	(in millions)
Cash equivalents	$	31	$	39									$	31	$	39
Collective investment funds					$	540	$	—					540		—
Corporate debt securities					197		185						197		185
U.S. government-sponsored debt securities					47		30						47		30
U.S. Treasury securities	75		100										75		100
Asset-backed securities									$	39	$	51	39		51
Equity securities	145		672										145		672
Total	$	251	$	811	$	784	$	215	$	39	$	51	$	1,074	$	1,077

Non-U.S. Plans

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Pension plan investments at fair value

	Non-U.S. Plans
	Fair Value Measurements at September 30,
	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
	2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016
	(in millions)
Cash equivalents	$	1	$	105									$	1	$	105
Corporate debt securities					$	39	$	39					39		39
UK Treasury securities	150		52										150		52
Asset-backed securities									$	32	$	29	32		29
Equity securities	134		116										134		116
Multi-asset securities (1)					77		74						77		74
Total	$	285	$	273	$	116	$	113	$	32	$	29	$	433	$	415

⁽¹⁾  Multi-asset securities represent pension plan assets that are invested in funds comprised of broad ranges of assets.