Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Card Member receivables, gross	$ 44,133,000,000	$ 44,851,000,000
Card Member loans	58,573,000,000	70,385,000,000
Other assets	10,069,000,000	11,342,000,000
Short-term borrowings	4,812,000,000	3,480,000,000
Long-term debt	48,061,000,000	57,955,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents
Securities purchased under resale agreements	41,000,000	204,000,000
Card Member loans and receivables held for sale	14,992,000,000	0
Accounts receivable
Card Member receivables, reserves	462,000,000	465,000,000
Other receivables, reserves	43,000,000	61,000,000
Loans
Card Member loans, reserves	1,028,000,000	1,201,000,000
Other loans, reserves	20,000,000	12,000,000
Premises and equipment, accumulated depreciation	6,801,000,000	6,270,000,000
Restricted cash	477,000,000	384,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Net unrealized securities gains, tax	32,000,000	52,000,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments, tax	(100,000,000)	(317,000,000)
Net unrealized pension and other postretirement benefit losses, net of tax	$ (223,000,000)	$ (223,000,000)
Common shares, par value	$ 0.2	$ 0.2
Common shares, authorized	3,600,000,000	3,600,000,000
Common shares, issued	969,000,000	1,023,000,000
Common shares, outstanding	969,000,000	1,023,000,000
Preferred shares, authorized	20,000,000	20,000,000
Preferred shares, issued	1,600	750
Preferred shares, outstanding	1,600	750
Preferred shares, par value	$ 1.67	$ 1.67
Variable Interest Enterprise [Member]
Card Member receivables, gross	6,649,000,000	7,025,000,000
Card Member loans	23,559,000,000	30,115,000,000
Short-term borrowings	100,000,000	0
Long-term debt	13,602,000,000	19,516,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents
Card Member loans and receivables held for sale	4,966,000,000	0
Loans
Restricted cash	$ 155,000,000	$ 64,000,000