Loans and Card Member Receivables - Modified as TDR, Prior to Adoption (Details 6) account in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($) account	Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($) account
Financing Receivable, Troubled Debt Restructuring [Line Items]
Number of Accounts \| account	32	66
Account Balances \| $	$ 334	$ 683
Card Member Loans
Financing Receivable, Troubled Debt Restructuring [Line Items]
Number of Accounts \| account	26	53
Account Balances \| $	$ 171	$ 348
Average Interest Rate Reduction (as a percent)	14.00%	14.00%
Card Member Receivables
Financing Receivable, Troubled Debt Restructuring [Line Items]
Number of Accounts \| account	5	11
Account Balances \| $	$ 162	$ 333
Average Payment Term Extension (in months)	19 months	18 months
Other Loans
Financing Receivable, Troubled Debt Restructuring [Line Items]
Number of Accounts \| account	1	2
Account Balances \| $	$ 1	$ 2
Average Interest Rate Reduction (as a percent)	3.00%	3.00%
Average Payment Term Extension (in months)	17 months	16 months

The average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of Financial Instrument

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	dtr-types1:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The average period for payment term extension for card member receivables modified in a TDR.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
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://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 42
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-42

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 42
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-42

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12A
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481933/310-10-55-12A

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 33
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-33

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 34
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-34

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 33
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-33

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before troubled debt restructuring, of financing receivable to be modified.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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