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Parent Company (Details 1) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Assets          
Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,288,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold $ 19,486,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold $ 22,250,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold $ 24,893,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold  
Investment securities 4,431,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities 5,016,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities 5,614,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities    
Accounts receivable, less reserves 44,386,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNet 43,777,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNet      
Premises and equipment, less accumulated depreciation 3,938,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 3,875,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet      
Other assets 11,342,000,000us-gaap_OtherAssets 11,228,000,000us-gaap_OtherAssets      
Total assets 159,103,000,000us-gaap_Assets 153,375,000,000us-gaap_Assets      
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity          
Long-term debt 57,955,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt 55,330,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt      
Total liabilities 138,430,000,000us-gaap_Liabilities 133,879,000,000us-gaap_Liabilities      
Shareholders' Equity          
Preferred shares 0us-gaap_PreferredStockValue 0us-gaap_PreferredStockValue      
Common shares 205,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockValue 213,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockValue      
Additional paid-in capital 12,874,000,000us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital 12,202,000,000us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital      
Retained earnings 9,513,000,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit 8,507,000,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit      
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,919,000,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax (1,426,000,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax      
Total shareholders' equity 20,673,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity 19,496,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity 18,886,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity 18,794,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity 18,794,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 159,103,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity 153,375,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity      
Parent Company Details (Textuals) [Abstract]          
Premises and equipment, accumulated depreciation 6,270,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment 5,978,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment      
Parent Company [Member]          
Assets          
Cash and cash equivalents 8,824,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
6,076,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
4,797,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
6,914,000,000us-gaap_CashCashEquivalentsAndFederalFundsSold
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Investment securities 1,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
123,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Equity in net assets of subsidiaries and affiliates 20,123,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentUnderlyingEquityInNetAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
19,571,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentUnderlyingEquityInNetAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Accounts receivable, less reserves 134,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
378,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Premises and equipment, less accumulated depreciation 139,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
136,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates 7,809,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableRelatedParties
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
5,236,000,000us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableRelatedParties
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Due from subsidiaries and affiliates 1,477,000,000us-gaap_DueFromAffiliates
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
1,126,000,000us-gaap_DueFromAffiliates
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Other assets 365,000,000us-gaap_OtherAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
335,000,000us-gaap_OtherAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Total assets 38,872,000,000us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
32,981,000,000us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity          
Accounts payable and other liabilities 1,590,000,000axp_AccountsPayableAndOtherLiabilities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
1,386,000,000axp_AccountsPayableAndOtherLiabilities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Due to subsidiaries and affiliates 964,000,000us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
926,000,000us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Short-term debt of subsidiaries and affiliates 5,937,000,000us-gaap_DueToAffiliateCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
819,000,000us-gaap_DueToAffiliateCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Long-term debt 9,708,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
10,354,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Total liabilities 18,199,000,000us-gaap_Liabilities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
13,485,000,000us-gaap_Liabilities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Shareholders' Equity          
Preferred shares 0us-gaap_PreferredStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
0us-gaap_PreferredStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Common shares 205,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
213,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Additional paid-in capital 12,874,000,000us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
12,202,000,000us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Retained earnings 9,513,000,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
8,507,000,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,919,000,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
(1,426,000,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Total shareholders' equity 20,673,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
19,496,000,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 38,872,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
32,981,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Parent Company Details (Textuals) [Abstract]          
Premises and equipment, accumulated depreciation $ 106,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
$ 76,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember