Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Guarantor Information Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Product revenue	$ 722	$ 743	$ 1,356	$ 1,410
Service revenue	936	792	1,820	1,535
Total revenue	1,658	1,535	3,176	2,945
Cost of products	531	550	1,007	1,053
Cost of services	647	559	1,273	1,097
Selling, general and administrative expenses	247	232	492	461
Research and development expenses	64	55	127	110
Total operating expenses	1,489	1,396	2,899	2,721
Income (loss) from operations	169	139	277	224
Interest expense	(46)	(26)	(89)	(47)
Other (expense) income, net	(3)	(3)	(10)	(1)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	120	110	178	176
Income tax expense (benefit)	29	23	33	25
Income (loss) from continuing operations before earning in subsidiaries	91	87	145	151
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	91	87	145	151
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	(1)
Net income	91	87	145	150
Net income	1	1	2	3
Net income attributable to NCR	90	86	143	147
Total comprehensive income (loss)	111	56	169	122
Less comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	2	(1)	2	0
Comprehensive income attributable to NCR common stockholders	109	57	167	122
Parent Company [Member]
Product revenue	245	269	485	551
Service revenue	322	302	629	600
Total revenue	567	571	1,114	1,151
Cost of products	200	205	383	417
Cost of services	239	210	471	431
Selling, general and administrative expenses	127	124	258	260
Research and development expenses	34	15	51	33
Total operating expenses	600	554	1,163	1,141
Income (loss) from operations	(33)	17	(49)	10
Interest expense	(44)	(25)	(87)	(47)
Other (expense) income, net	12	(9)	24	(10)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(65)	(17)	(112)	(47)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(23)	(10)	(40)	(22)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before earning in subsidiaries	(42)	(7)	(72)	(25)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	132	93	215	173
Income from continuing operations	90	86	143	148
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	(1)
Net income	90	86	143	147
Net income	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to NCR	90	86	143	147
Total comprehensive income (loss)	109	57	167	122
Less comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to NCR common stockholders	109	57	167	122
Guarantor Subsidiary [Member]
Product revenue	32	24	49	37
Service revenue	7	7	14	12
Total revenue	39	31	63	49
Cost of products	12	4	17	6
Cost of services	3	2	6	5
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(1)	1	0	2
Research and development expenses	0	1	0	0
Total operating expenses	14	8	23	13
Income (loss) from operations	25	23	40	36
Interest expense	0	(1)	0	(1)
Other (expense) income, net	(1)	2	(3)	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	24	24	37	35
Income tax expense (benefit)	13	13	20	6
Income (loss) from continuing operations before earning in subsidiaries	11	11	17	29
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	121	54	184	121
Income from continuing operations	132	65	201	150
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	132	65	201	150
Net income	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to NCR	132	65	201	150
Total comprehensive income (loss)	143	89	215	162
Less comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to NCR common stockholders	143	89	215	162
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Product revenue	485	516	916	939
Service revenue	607	483	1,177	923
Total revenue	1,092	999	2,093	1,862
Cost of products	359	407	701	747
Cost of services	405	347	796	661
Selling, general and administrative expenses	121	107	234	199
Research and development expenses	30	39	76	77
Total operating expenses	915	900	1,807	1,684
Income (loss) from operations	177	99	286	178
Interest expense	(20)	(11)	(37)	(12)
Other (expense) income, net	4	15	4	22
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	161	103	253	188
Income tax expense (benefit)	39	20	53	41
Income (loss) from continuing operations before earning in subsidiaries	122	83	200	147
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	122	83	200	147
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	122	83	200	147
Net income	1	1	2	3
Net income attributable to NCR	121	82	198	144
Total comprehensive income (loss)	143	56	221	80
Less comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	2	(1)	2	0
Comprehensive income attributable to NCR common stockholders	141	57	219	80
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Product revenue	(40)	(66)	(94)	(117)
Service revenue	0	0	0	0
Total revenue	(40)	(66)	(94)	(117)
Cost of products	(40)	(66)	(94)	(117)
Cost of services	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	(40)	(66)	(94)	(117)
Income (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	18	11	35	13
Other (expense) income, net	(18)	(11)	(35)	(13)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before earning in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	(253)	(147)	(399)	(294)
Income from continuing operations	(253)	(147)	(399)	(294)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net income	(253)	(147)	(399)	(294)
Net income	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to NCR	(253)	(147)	(399)	(294)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	(284)	(146)	(434)	(242)
Less comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to NCR common stockholders	$ (284)	$ (146)	$ (434)	$ (242)