Condensed Consolidating Guarantor Information Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 460	$ 1,069	$ 581	$ 398
Accounts receivable, net	1,349	1,086
Inventories, net	842	797
Due from Related Parties, Current	0	0
Other current assets	591	454
Total current assets	3,242	3,406
Property, plant and equipment, net	338	308
Goodwill	1,472	1,003
Intangibles, net	474	304
Prepaid pension cost	424	368
Deferred income taxes	492	532
Investments in Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other assets	436	448
Total assets	6,878	6,369
Short-term borrowings	15	72
Accounts payable	584	611
Payroll and benefits liabilities	209	186
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	508	455
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other current liabilities	437	418
Total current liabilities	1,753	1,742
Long-term debt	2,212	1,891
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	740	805
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	202	246
Income tax accruals	143	138
Environmental liabilities	118	171
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	118	79
Total liabilities	5,286	5,072
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	17	15
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,537	1,252
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	38	30
Total stockholders’ equity	1,575	1,282
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	6,878	6,369
Parent Company [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	28	555	18	30
Accounts receivable, net	313	243
Inventories, net	288	273
Due from Related Parties, Current	1,051	623
Other current assets	388	244
Total current assets	2,068	1,938
Property, plant and equipment, net	130	145
Goodwill	274	273
Intangibles, net	14	17
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	403	470
Investments in Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures, Fair Value Disclosure	2,554	2,185
Due from affiliates	28	26
Other assets	276	313
Total assets	5,747	5,367
Short-term borrowings	15	71
Accounts payable	189	204
Payroll and benefits liabilities	74	93
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	112	104
Due to affiliates	720	687
Other current liabilities	162	169
Total current liabilities	1,272	1,328
Long-term debt	2,210	1,889
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	367	434
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	32	79
Income tax accruals	2	3
Environmental liabilities	118	171
Due to affiliates	199	195
Other liabilities	10	16
Total liabilities	4,210	4,115
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,537	1,252
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	1,537	1,252
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	5,747	5,367
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	38	22	142	13
Accounts receivable, net	123	84
Inventories, net	54	40
Due from Related Parties, Current	801	693
Other current assets	38	41
Total current assets	1,054	880
Property, plant and equipment, net	11	4
Goodwill	586	568
Intangibles, net	230	245
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	11	0
Investments in Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures, Fair Value Disclosure	1,564	640
Due from affiliates	20	20
Other assets	63	48
Total assets	3,539	2,405
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	26	22
Payroll and benefits liabilities	14	0
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	49	30
Due to affiliates	633	578
Other current liabilities	54	28
Total current liabilities	776	658
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	1
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	0	0
Income tax accruals	9	8
Environmental liabilities	0	0
Due to affiliates	60	60
Other liabilities	11	15
Total liabilities	856	742
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	2,683	1,663
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	2,683	1,663
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	3,539	2,405
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	394	492	421	355
Accounts receivable, net	913	759
Inventories, net	500	484
Due from Related Parties, Current	247	479
Other current assets	219	204
Total current assets	2,273	2,418
Property, plant and equipment, net	197	159
Goodwill	612	162
Intangibles, net	230	42
Prepaid pension cost	424	368
Deferred income taxes	80	70
Investments in Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Due from affiliates	242	238
Other assets	97	87
Total assets	4,155	3,544
Short-term borrowings	0	1
Accounts payable	369	385
Payroll and benefits liabilities	121	93
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	347	321
Due to affiliates	746	530
Other current liabilities	275	256
Total current liabilities	1,858	1,586
Long-term debt	2	2
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	373	370
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	170	167
Income tax accruals	132	127
Environmental liabilities	0	0
Due to affiliates	31	29
Other liabilities	99	56
Total liabilities	2,665	2,337
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	17	15
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,435	1,162
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	38	30
Total stockholders’ equity	1,473	1,192
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	4,155	3,544
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Due from Related Parties, Current	(2,099)	(1,795)
Other current assets	(54)	(35)
Total current assets	(2,153)	(1,830)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(2)	(8)
Investments in Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures, Fair Value Disclosure	(4,118)	(2,825)
Due from affiliates	(290)	(284)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(6,563)	(4,947)
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Payroll and benefits liabilities	0	0
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	0	0
Due to affiliates	(2,099)	(1,795)
Other current liabilities	(54)	(35)
Total current liabilities	(2,153)	(1,830)
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	0	0
Income tax accruals	0	0
Environmental liabilities	0	0
Due to affiliates	(290)	(284)
Other liabilities	(2)	(8)
Total liabilities	(2,445)	(2,122)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	(4,118)	(2,825)
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(4,118)	(2,825)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ (6,563)	$ (4,947)