XML 150 R95.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Debt (Details 2) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 $ 12,079us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths  
2016 11,552us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo  
2017 16,354us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree  
2018 9,443us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour  
2019 6,114us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive  
Thereafter 3,180us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive  
Total 58,722axp_LongTermDebtGross  
Unamortized Underwriting Fees (116)us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense (105)us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense
Unamortized Discount and Premium (932)us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscountPremiumNet  
Impacts due to Fair Value Hedge Accounting 281axp_LongTermImpactDebtDueToFairValueHedgeAccounting  
Total long-term debt 57,955us-gaap_LongTermDebt 55,330us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Parent Company [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
2016 1,350us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
2017 1,500us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
2018 3,850us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
2019 641us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Thereafter 3,147us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Total 10,488axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Total long-term debt 9,708us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
10,354us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
American Express Centurion Bank [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 1,305us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
2016 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
2017 1,300us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
2018 125us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
2019 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
Thereafter 2us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
Total 2,732axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCenturionBankMember
 
American Express Credit Corporation [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 5,227us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
2016 7,057us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
2017 6,532us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
2018 1,295us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
2019 4,150us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
Thereafter 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
Total 24,261axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressCreditCorporationMember
 
American Express Bank, FSB [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
2016 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
2017 1,300us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
2018 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
2019 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
Thereafter 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
Total 1,300axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressFederalSavingsBankMember
 
American Express Charge Trust II [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
2016 2,500us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
2017 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
2018 1,287us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
2019 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
Thereafter 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
Total 3,787axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressChargeTrustMember
 
American Express Lending Trust [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 5,422us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
2016 500us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
2017 5,639us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
2018 2,886us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
2019 1,317us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
Thereafter 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
Total 15,764axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_AmericanExpressLendingTrustMember
 
Other Subsidiaries [Member]    
Aggregate annual maturities on long-term debt obligations    
2015 125us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInNextTwelveMonths
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember
 
2016 145us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember
 
2017 83us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember
 
2018 0us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember
 
2019 6us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember
 
Thereafter 31us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFive
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember
 
Total $ 390axp_LongTermDebtGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= axp_OtherSubsidiariesMember