Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Guarantor Information - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 333	$ 328	$ 462	$ 511
Accounts receivable, net	1,306	1,251
Inventories	725	643
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other current assets	341	327
Total current assets	2,705	2,549
Property, plant and equipment, net	302	322
Goodwill	2,742	2,733
Intangibles, net	769	798
Prepaid pension cost	131	130
Deferred income taxes	577	582
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other assets	526	521
Total assets	7,752	7,635
Short-term borrowings	250	13
Accounts payable	649	657
Payroll and benefits liabilities	174	189
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	509	476
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other current liabilities	402	446
Total current liabilities	1,984	1,781
Long-term debt	3,269	3,239
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	702	696
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	132	133
Income tax accruals	169	167
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	139	79
Total liabilities	6,395	6,095
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	10	16
Series A convertible preferred stock	809	798
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	530	720
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	8	6
Total stockholders’ equity	538	726
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,752	7,635
Parent Company [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	16	15	29	44
Accounts receivable, net	46	94
Inventories	256	233
Due from affiliates	633	571
Other current assets	134	129
Total current assets	1,085	1,042
Property, plant and equipment, net	132	140
Goodwill	988	979
Intangibles, net	204	212
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	473	475
Investments in subsidiaries	3,195	3,173
Due from affiliates	1,083	1,072
Other assets	372	362
Total assets	7,532	7,455
Short-term borrowings	46	4
Accounts payable	257	280
Payroll and benefits liabilities	62	94
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	217	180
Due to affiliates	1,641	1,405
Other current liabilities	171	215
Total current liabilities	2,394	2,178
Long-term debt	3,259	3,229
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	436	433
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	25	27
Income tax accruals	14	14
Due to affiliates	17	18
Other liabilities	48	38
Total liabilities	6,193	5,937
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	809	798
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	530	720
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	530	720
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,532	7,455
Guarantor Subsidiary [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	22	20	17	9
Accounts receivable, net	32	33
Inventories	10	6
Due from affiliates	1,331	1,325
Other current assets	34	31
Total current assets	1,429	1,415
Property, plant and equipment, net	1	1
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	152	152
Investments in subsidiaries	1,499	1,449
Due from affiliates	17	17
Other assets	56	55
Total assets	3,154	3,089
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Payroll and benefits liabilities	1	1
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	11	24
Due to affiliates	142	137
Other current liabilities	4	3
Total current liabilities	158	165
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	2	3
Income tax accruals	14	13
Due to affiliates	39	37
Other liabilities	12	0
Total liabilities	225	218
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	2,929	2,871
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	2,929	2,871
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	3,154	3,089
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	295	293	416	458
Accounts receivable, net	1,228	1,124
Inventories	459	404
Due from affiliates	476	286
Other current assets	216	206
Total current assets	2,674	2,313
Property, plant and equipment, net	169	181
Goodwill	1,754	1,754
Intangibles, net	565	586
Prepaid pension cost	131	130
Deferred income taxes	81	84
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	39	38
Other assets	98	104
Total assets	5,511	5,190
Short-term borrowings	204	9
Accounts payable	392	377
Payroll and benefits liabilities	111	94
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	281	272
Due to affiliates	657	640
Other current liabilities	270	267
Total current liabilities	1,915	1,659
Long-term debt	10	10
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	266	263
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	105	103
Income tax accruals	141	140
Due to affiliates	1,083	1,072
Other liabilities	208	170
Total liabilities	3,728	3,417
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	10	16
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,765	1,751
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	8	6
Total stockholders’ equity	1,773	1,757
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	5,511	5,190
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Due from affiliates	(2,440)	(2,182)
Other current assets	(43)	(39)
Total current assets	(2,483)	(2,221)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(129)	(129)
Investments in subsidiaries	(4,694)	(4,622)
Due from affiliates	(1,139)	(1,127)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(8,445)	(8,099)
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	(2,440)	(2,182)
Other current liabilities	(43)	(39)
Total current liabilities	(2,483)	(2,221)
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	(1,139)	(1,127)
Other liabilities	(129)	(129)
Total liabilities	(3,751)	(3,477)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	(4,694)	(4,622)
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(4,694)	(4,622)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ (8,445)	$ (8,099)