Accounts Receivable and Loans (Details Textuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Troubled Debt Restructuring, Debtor, Current Period [Line Items]
Average basis point reduction in interest rate by class of cardmember loans	13	11
Accounts Receivable and Loans Textuals [Abstract]
Other receivables, reserves	$ 88,000,000		$ 102,000,000
Other loans, reserves	18,000,000		18,000,000
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Cardmember receivables	41,507,000,000		40,890,000,000
U S Card Services [Member]
Troubled Debt Restructuring, Debtor, Current Period [Line Items]
Average payment term extension	15
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Abstract]
Cardmember receivables	6,600,000,000		7,500,000,000
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Cardmember receivables	19,319,000,000		20,645,000,000
International Card Services [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Cardmember receivables	6,736,000,000		7,222,000,000
Global Commercial Services [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Cardmember receivables	15,298,000,000		12,829,000,000
Global Commercial Services [Member] | Airline [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Cardmember receivables	757,000,000		563,000,000
Global Commercial Services [Member] | Airline [Member] | Delta [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Cardmember receivables	$ 535,000,000		$ 340,000,000