Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Guarantor Information - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 318	$ 328	$ 303	$ 511
Accounts receivable, net	1,387	1,251
Inventories	776	643
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other current assets	270	327
Total current assets	2,751	2,549
Property, plant and equipment, net	289	322
Goodwill	2,737	2,733
Intangibles, net	704	798
Prepaid pension cost	132	130
Deferred income taxes	546	582
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other assets	552	521
Total assets	7,711	7,635
Short-term borrowings	256	13
Accounts payable	718	657
Payroll and benefits liabilities	212	189
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	471	476
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other current liabilities	345	446
Total current liabilities	2,002	1,781
Long-term debt	3,033	3,239
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	709	696
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	127	133
Income tax accruals	169	167
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	151	79
Total liabilities	6,191	6,095
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	10	16
Series A convertible preferred stock	835	798
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	672	720
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	3	6
Total stockholders’ equity	675	726
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,711	7,635
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Due from affiliates	(2,563)	(2,182)
Other current assets	(68)	(39)
Total current assets	(2,631)	(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	(5,019)	(4,622)
Due from affiliates	(1,109)	(1,127)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(8,888)	(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	(2,563)	(2,182)
Other current liabilities	(68)	(39)
Total current liabilities	(2,631)	(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	(1,109)	(1,127)
Other liabilities	(129)	(129)
Total liabilities	(3,869)	(3,477)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	(5,019)	(4,622)
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(5,019)	(4,622)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	(8,888)	(8,099)
Parent Company [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	12	15	20	44
Accounts receivable, net	50	94
Inventories	289	233
Due from affiliates	620	571
Other current assets	118	129
Total current assets	1,089	1,042
Property, plant and equipment, net	124	140
Goodwill	988	979
Intangibles, net	183	212
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	442	475
Investments in subsidiaries	3,434	3,173
Due from affiliates	1,054	1,072
Other assets	390	362
Total assets	7,704	7,455
Short-term borrowings	46	4
Accounts payable	287	280
Payroll and benefits liabilities	108	94
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	188	180
Due to affiliates	1,817	1,405
Other current liabilities	158	215
Total current liabilities	2,604	2,178
Long-term debt	3,028	3,229
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	448	433
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	26	27
Income tax accruals	14	14
Due to affiliates	17	18
Other liabilities	60	38
Total liabilities	6,197	5,937
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	835	798
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	672	720
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	672	720
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,704	7,455
Guarantor Subsidiary [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	13	20	10	9
Accounts receivable, net	26	33
Inventories	6	6
Due from affiliates	1,417	1,325
Other current assets	34	31
Total current assets	1,496	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	1,585	1,449
Due from affiliates	18	17
Other assets	58	55
Total assets	3,310	3,089
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	1	0
Payroll and benefits liabilities	1	1
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	10	24
Due to affiliates	129	137
Other current liabilities	1	3
Total current liabilities	142	165
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	2	3
Income tax accruals	13	13
Due to affiliates	37	37
Other liabilities	11	0
Total liabilities	205	218
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	3,105	2,871
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	3,105	2,871
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	3,310	3,089
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	293	293	$ 273	$ 458
Accounts receivable, net	1,311	1,124
Inventories	481	404
Due from affiliates	526	286
Other current assets	186	206
Total current assets	2,797	2,313
Property, plant and equipment, net	164	181
Goodwill	1,749	1,754
Intangibles, net	521	586
Prepaid pension cost	132	130
Deferred income taxes	81	84
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	37	38
Other assets	104	104
Total assets	5,585	5,190
Short-term borrowings	210	9
Accounts payable	430	377
Payroll and benefits liabilities	103	94
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	273	272
Due to affiliates	617	640
Other current liabilities	254	267
Total current liabilities	1,887	1,659
Long-term debt	5	10
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	261	263
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	99	103
Income tax accruals	142	140
Due to affiliates	1,055	1,072
Other liabilities	209	170
Total liabilities	3,658	3,417
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	10	16
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,914	1,751
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	3	6
Total stockholders’ equity	1,917	1,757
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 5,585	$ 5,190