Acquisitions and Divestitures	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Text Block Abstract
Acquisitions	NOTE 2 BUSINESS EVENTS LOANS AND RECEIVABLES Held for sale During the fourth quarter of 2015, it was determined the Company would sell the Card Member loans and receivables related to its cobrand partnerships with JetBlue Airways Corporation (JetBlue) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) in the United States (the HFS portfolios). As a result, the HFS portfolios were presented as held for sale (HFS) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets within Card Member loans and receivables HFS as of December 31, 2015. During the first half of 2016, the Company completed the sales of substantially all of these outstanding Card Member loans and receivables HFS and recognized gains, as an expense reduction in Other expenses, of $127 million and $1.1 billion during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016, respectively. The impact of the sales, including the recognition of the proceeds received and the reclassification of the retained Card Member loans and receivables, was reported within the investing section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as a net decrease in Card Member receivables and loans, including HFS. From the point of classification as HFS through the sale completion dates, the Company continued to recognize discount revenue, interest income, other revenues and expenses related to the HFS portfolios in the respective line items on the Consolidated Statements of Income, with changes in the valuation of the HFS portfolios recognized in Other expenses. GOODWILL AND TECHNOLOGY Impairment As discussed in Note 1, the Company evaluates goodwill for impairment annually, or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of one or more of the Company’s reporting units below its carrying value. Based on its annual assessment as of June 30, 2015, the Company determined that goodwill was not impaired; however, during the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company announced changes to its management organizational structure under which reconsideration of the Company’s Prepaid Services business (a reporting unit that is included in Corporate & Other) occurred. As a result, the Company determined that sufficient indicators of potential impairment of goodwill existed and performed an impairment evaluation. In performing its quantitative impairment assessment, it was determined the carrying value of the Prepaid Services business’ goodwill exceeded its implied fair value and the Company recognized an impairment loss. The fair value of the Prepaid Services business asset group was measured based on an income approach (discounted cash flow valuation methodology), with the assistance of a third-party valuation firm. Prior to completing the assessment of goodwill for impairment, the Company performed a recoverability test of certain long-lived assets in the Prepaid Services business and determined that certain long-lived assets, primarily technology assets, were not recoverable. As a result, during the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company recorded a $384 million impairment charge, comprising a $219 million write-down of the entire balance of goodwill in the Prepaid Services business and a $165 million write-down of technology and other assets to fair value. These charges were reported in Other expenses. Refer to Note 7 for further discussion of the Company’s goodwill and intangible assets.

NOTE 2

BUSINESS EVENTS

LOANS AND RECEIVABLES Held for sale

During the fourth quarter of 2015, it was determined the Company would sell the Card Member loans and receivables related to its cobrand partnerships with JetBlue Airways Corporation (JetBlue) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) in the United States (the HFS portfolios). As a result, the HFS portfolios were presented as held for sale (HFS) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets within Card Member loans and receivables HFS as of December 31, 2015. During the first half of 2016, the Company completed the sales of substantially all of these outstanding Card Member loans and receivables HFS and recognized gains, as an expense reduction in Other expenses, of $127 million and $1.1 billion during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016, respectively. The impact of the sales, including the recognition of the proceeds received and the reclassification of the retained Card Member loans and receivables, was reported within the investing section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as a net decrease in Card Member receivables and loans, including HFS. From the point of classification as HFS through the sale completion dates, the Company continued to recognize discount revenue, interest income, other revenues and expenses related to the HFS portfolios in the respective line items on the Consolidated Statements of Income, with changes in the valuation of the HFS portfolios recognized in Other expenses.

GOODWILL AND TECHNOLOGY Impairment

As discussed in Note 1, the Company evaluates goodwill for impairment annually, or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of one or more of the Company’s reporting units below its carrying value. Based on its annual assessment as of June 30, 2015, the Company determined that goodwill was not impaired; however, during the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company announced changes to its management organizational structure under which reconsideration of the Company’s Prepaid Services business (a reporting unit that is included in Corporate & Other) occurred. As a result, the Company determined that sufficient indicators of potential impairment of goodwill existed and performed an impairment evaluation. In performing its quantitative impairment assessment, it was determined the carrying value of the Prepaid Services business’ goodwill exceeded its implied fair value and the Company recognized an impairment loss. The fair value of the Prepaid Services business asset group was measured based on an income approach (discounted cash flow valuation methodology), with the assistance of a third-party valuation firm. Prior to completing the assessment of goodwill for impairment, the Company performed a recoverability test of certain long-lived assets in the Prepaid Services business and determined that certain long-lived assets, primarily technology assets, were not recoverable. As a result, during the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company recorded a $384 million impairment charge, comprising a $219 million write-down of the entire balance of goodwill in the Prepaid Services business and a $165 million write-down of technology and other assets to fair value. These charges were reported in Other expenses. Refer to Note 7 for further discussion of the Company’s goodwill and intangible assets.