Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Guarantor Information - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 303	$ 511	$ 424	$ 528
Accounts receivable, net	1,424	1,404
Inventories	718	669
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other current assets	453	504
Total current assets	2,898	3,088
Property, plant and equipment, net	338	396
Goodwill	2,750	2,760
Intangibles, net	830	926
Prepaid pension cost	137	551
Deferred income taxes	383	349
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other assets	551	537
Total assets	7,887	8,607
Short-term borrowings	5	187
Accounts payable	691	712
Payroll and benefits liabilities	210	196
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	537	494
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other current liabilities	392	481
Total current liabilities	1,835	2,070
Long-term debt	3,243	3,472
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	684	705
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	180	170
Income tax accruals	176	181
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	82	111
Total liabilities	6,200	6,709
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	12	15
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,669	1,871
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	6	12
Total stockholders’ equity	1,675	1,883
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,887	8,607
Parent Company [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	18	40	20	75
Accounts receivable, net	79	69
Inventories	257	242
Due from affiliates	1,193	626
Other current assets	196	294
Total current assets	1,743	1,271
Property, plant and equipment, net	147	161
Goodwill	876	878
Intangibles, net	170	196
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	389	363
Investments in subsidiaries	3,309	3,519
Due from affiliates	1,092	1,127
Other assets	387	375
Total assets	8,113	7,890
Short-term borrowings	1	85
Accounts payable	284	248
Payroll and benefits liabilities	106	85
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	192	149
Due to affiliates	1,978	1,318
Other current liabilities	174	192
Total current liabilities	2,735	2,077
Long-term debt	3,231	3,454
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	404	391
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	23	25
Income tax accruals	4	3
Due to affiliates	17	17
Other liabilities	30	52
Total liabilities	6,444	6,019
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,669	1,871
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	1,669	1,871
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	8,113	7,890
Guarantor Subsidiary [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	10	9	8	11
Accounts receivable, net	34	19
Inventories	13	6
Due from affiliates	1,301	1,228
Other current assets	32	28
Total current assets	1,390	1,290
Property, plant and equipment, net	2	1
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	131	128
Investments in subsidiaries	1,573	1,771
Due from affiliates	17	20
Other assets	56	49
Total assets	3,169	3,259
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	(1)	0
Payroll and benefits liabilities	0	0
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	24	21
Due to affiliates	136	124
Other current liabilities	5	10
Total current liabilities	164	155
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	0	0
Income tax accruals	13	10
Due to affiliates	38	41
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	215	206
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	2,954	3,053
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	2,954	3,053
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	3,169	3,259
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	275	462	396	442
Accounts receivable, net	1,311	1,316
Inventories	448	421
Due from affiliates	311	476
Other current assets	261	280
Total current assets	2,606	2,955
Property, plant and equipment, net	189	234
Goodwill	1,874	1,882
Intangibles, net	660	730
Prepaid pension cost	137	551
Deferred income taxes	48	43
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	38	41
Other assets	108	113
Total assets	5,660	6,549
Short-term borrowings	4	102
Accounts payable	408	464
Payroll and benefits liabilities	104	111
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	321	324
Due to affiliates	691	888
Other current liabilities	249	377
Total current liabilities	1,777	2,266
Long-term debt	12	18
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	280	314
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	157	145
Income tax accruals	159	168
Due to affiliates	1,092	1,130
Other liabilities	237	244
Total liabilities	3,714	4,285
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	12	15
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,928	2,237
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	6	12
Total stockholders’ equity	1,934	2,249
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	5,660	6,549
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Due from affiliates	(2,805)	(2,330)
Other current assets	(36)	(98)
Total current assets	(2,841)	(2,428)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(185)	(185)
Investments in subsidiaries	(4,882)	(5,290)
Due from affiliates	(1,147)	(1,188)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(9,055)	(9,091)
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	(2,805)	(2,330)
Other current liabilities	(36)	(98)
Total current liabilities	(2,841)	(2,428)
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	0	0
Income tax accruals	0	0
Due to affiliates	(1,147)	(1,188)
Other liabilities	(185)	(185)
Total liabilities	(4,173)	(3,801)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	(4,882)	(5,290)
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(4,882)	(5,290)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ (9,055)	$ (9,091)