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Stock Plans (Details Textuals) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Stock Plans Details [Abstract]      
Common shares unissued and available for grant 35,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant 35,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant 36,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Weighted-average grant date fair value of RSAs granted $ 86.65us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue    
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Share-based Payments [Line Items]      
Exercisable non-qualified stock option awards granted to CEO 687,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeNumberOfExercisableOptions    
Chief Executive Officer [Member]      
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Share-based Payments [Line Items]      
Non-qualified stock option awards granted to CEO 2,750,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
   
Contractual term in years of stock option awards 10 years 0 months 0 days    
Vesting period in years of stock option awards 6 years 0 months 0 days    
Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Market-based conditions [Member]      
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Share-based Payments [Line Items]      
Aggregate grant date fair value $ 10,500,000axp_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGrantDateAggregateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredProfitSharingMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
   
Total compensation expense 0us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredProfitSharingMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
300,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredProfitSharingMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
500,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredProfitSharingMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
Chief Executive Officer [Member] | Performance-based conditions [Member]      
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Share-based Payments [Line Items]      
Aggregate grant date fair value 33,800,000axp_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGrantDateAggregateFairValue
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredBonusMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
   
Total compensation expense 0us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredBonusMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
0us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredBonusMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
0us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredBonusMember
/ us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis
= us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
Stock Option [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Vesting rights Stock options generally vest 25 percent per year beginning with the first anniversary of the grant date or at 100 percent on the third anniversary of the grant date.    
Intrinsic value for options exercised 245,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
374,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
209,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
Cash received from the exercise of stock options 283,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationCashReceivedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
580,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationCashReceivedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
368,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationCashReceivedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
Tax benefit realized from income tax deductions from stock option exercises 54,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
84,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
45,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
Restricted Stock Awards [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Vesting rights RSAs are valued based on the stock price on the date of grant and generally vest 25 percent per year, beginning with the first anniversary of the grant date or at 100 percent on the third anniversary of the grant date.    
Total fair value of shares vested 298,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_RestrictedStockAwardsMember
336,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_RestrictedStockAwardsMember
296,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_RestrictedStockAwardsMember
Weighted-average grant date fair value of RSAs granted $ 86.65us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_RestrictedStockAwardsMember
$ 60.13us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_RestrictedStockAwardsMember
$ 49.8us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_RestrictedStockAwardsMember
Liability-Based Awards [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Cash paid upon vesting of PGs $ 62,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationCashFlowEffectCashUsedToSettleAwards
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_LiabilityBasedAwardsMember
$ 43,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationCashFlowEffectCashUsedToSettleAwards
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_LiabilityBasedAwardsMember
$ 66,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationCashFlowEffectCashUsedToSettleAwards
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= axp_LiabilityBasedAwardsMember