Debt (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 46,990	$ 48,061
Unamortized Underwriting Fees	$ (71)	$ (96)
Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	2.39%	2.44%
Parent Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 8,364	$ 9,719
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017-2042
Long-term Debt	$ 6,932	$ 7,546
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	4.24%	4.25%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | Parent Company [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	5.13%	5.15%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Centurion Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017
Long-term Debt	$ 1,306	$ 1,319
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	4.83%	4.75%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Centurion Bank [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	5.99%	5.99%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Credit Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017-2021
Long-term Debt	$ 16,201	$ 16,469
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	1.44%	1.28%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Credit Corporation [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.98%	2.16%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Bank, FSB [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017
Long-term Debt	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Bank, FSB [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	6.00%	6.00%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017
Long-term Debt	$ 3,500	$ 4,000
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Fixed Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.41%	1.35%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2018
Long-term Debt	$ 850	$ 850
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | Parent Company [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.51%	0.97%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Centurion Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2018
Long-term Debt	$ 125	$ 125
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Centurion Bank [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.26%	0.81%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Credit Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017-2020
Long-term Debt	$ 4,350	$ 5,300
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Credit Corporation [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.52%	0.98%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Bank, FSB [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017
Long-term Debt	$ 300	$ 300
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Bank, FSB [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.96%	0.62%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Charge Trust II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2018
Long-term Debt	$ 4,200	$ 2,200
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Charge Trust II [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.12%	0.67%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017-2019
Long-term Debt	$ 7,025	$ 7,025
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Senior Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.20%	0.82%
Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Charge Trust II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2018
Long-term Debt	$ 87	$ 87
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Charge Trust II [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.34%	0.97%
Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017-2019
Long-term Debt	$ 316	$ 316
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	1.34%	0.97%
Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt		6.80%
Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2024
Long-term Debt	$ 598	$ 1,347
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	1.92%	4.47%
Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member] | Parent Company [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	3.63%	5.39%
Borrowings under Bank Credit Facilities [Member] | American Express Credit Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	―
Long-term Debt	$ 0	$ 0
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Borrowings under Bank Credit Facilities [Member] | American Express Credit Corporation [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.00%	0.00%
Fixed Rate Subordinated Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	―
Long-term Debt	$ 0	$ 0
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Fixed Rate Subordinated Notes Amount [Member] | American Express Lending Trust [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.00%	0.00%
Fixed Rate Instruments [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2021-2033
Long-term Debt	$ 24	$ 29
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Fixed Rate Instruments [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	5.62%	5.62%
Fixed Rate Instruments [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member] | Capitalized lease transactions
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 24	$ 29
Floating Rate Borrowings [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2017-2019
Long-term Debt	$ 247	$ 244
Year-End Effective Interest Rates with Swaps	0.00%	0.00%
Floating Rate Borrowings [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member] | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year-End Stated Rate on Debt	0.44%	0.66%