Fair Values (Details 2) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 25,143,000,000	$ 24,893,000,000	$ 24,945,000,000	$ 16,356,000,000
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	9,792,000,000
Long-term Debt	56,271,000,000	59,570,000,000
Fair Values (Textuals) [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, less reserves	41,910,000,000	40,452,000,000
Cardmember loans, net	60,291,000,000	60,747,000,000
Variable Interest Enterprise [Member]
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Long-term Debt	15,597,000,000	20,856,000,000
Fair Values (Textuals) [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, less reserves	7,000,000,000
Carrying Value [Member]
Financial Assets:
Other assets	47,000,000,000
Assets Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Loans, net	61,000,000,000
Financial Liabilities:
Liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value	58,000,000,000
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	10,000,000,000
Level 1 [Member]
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	24,000,000,000
Other assets	0
Assets Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Loans, net	0
Financial Liabilities:
Liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value	0
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	0
Long-term Debt	0
Level 2 [Member]
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,000,000,000
Other assets	47,000,000,000
Assets Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Loans, net	0
Financial Liabilities:
Liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value	58,000,000,000
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	10,000,000,000
Long-term Debt	60,000,000,000
Level 3 [Member]
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Other assets	0
Assets Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Loans, net	61,000,000,000
Financial Liabilities:
Liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value	0
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	0
Long-term Debt	0
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	25,000,000,000
Other assets	47,000,000,000
Assets Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Loans, net	61,000,000,000
Financial Liabilities:
Liabilities for which carrying values equal or approximate fair value	58,000,000,000
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Certificates of deposit	10,000,000,000
Long-term Debt	60,000,000,000
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Variable Interest Enterprise [Member]
Liabilities Carried At Other Than Fair Value [Abstract]
Long-term Debt	15,800,000,000
Fair Values (Textuals) [Abstract]
Cardmember loans, net	$ 30,700,000,000