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Income Taxes (Details Textuals) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes (Textuals)        
U.S. statutory federal income tax rate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate  
Aggregate of federal taxes $ 3,000,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential      
Income taxes paid 2,500,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet 2,000,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet 1,900,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet  
Unrecognized tax benefits 909,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 1,044,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 1,230,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 1,223,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential resolutions of prior years' tax 489,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit      
Unrecognized tax benefits that affect effective tax rate 412,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 427,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 452,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate  
Unrecognized tax benefits, amounts recorded to equity 369,000,000axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEquity      
Unrecognized tax benefits impact not possible to quantify 0axp_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleQuantifyImpactNotPossible      
Unrecognized tax benefits income tax penalties and interest expense 19,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 31,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 8,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense  
Unrecognized tax benefits income tax penalties and interest accrued 126,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued 144,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued    
Income Taxes Of Non Us Subsidiaries [Line Items]        
Accumulated earnings intended to be permanently reinvested outside the U.S. 9,700,000,000axp_AccumulatedEarningsToBePermanentlyReinvestedOutsideUnitedStates      
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Earliest Year [Member]        
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]        
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction 2008      
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Latest Year [Member]        
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]        
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction 2011      
International [Member]        
Income Taxes Of Non Us Subsidiaries [Line Items]        
Benefits related to the realization of certain foreign tax credits     $ 146,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= axp_InternationalMember
 
Decrease in tax rate related to the realization of certain foreign tax credits     2.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= axp_InternationalMember