Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Guarantor Information Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 498	$ 328	$ 511	$ 528
Accounts receivable, net	1,282	1,251
Inventories	699	643
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other current assets	278	327
Total current assets	2,757	2,549
Property, plant and equipment, net	287	322
Goodwill	2,727	2,733	2,760
Intangibles, net	672	798
Prepaid pension cost	94	130
Deferred income taxes	575	582
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other assets	561	521
Total assets	7,673	7,635
Short-term borrowings	50	13
Accounts payable	781	657
Payroll and benefits liabilities	234	189
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	468	476
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other current liabilities	432	446
Total current liabilities	1,965	1,781
Long-term debt	3,001	3,239
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	739	696
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	127	133
Income tax accruals	142	167
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	138	79
Total liabilities	6,112	6,095
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	15	16
Series A convertible preferred stock: par value $0.01 per share, 3.0 shares authorized, 0.9 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 0.8 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015; redemption amount and liquidation preference of $870 and $824 as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively	847	798
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	695	720
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	4	6
Total stockholders’ equity	699	726
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,673	7,635
Parent Company [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	65	15	45	79
Accounts receivable, net	64	99
Inventories	272	235
Due from affiliates	680	573
Other current assets	140	132
Total current assets	1,221	1,054
Property, plant and equipment, net	129	140
Goodwill	988	980
Intangibles, net	176	212
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	499	475
Investments in subsidiaries	3,275	3,172
Due from affiliates	1,053	1,072
Other assets	405	362
Total assets	7,746	7,467
Short-term borrowings	46	4
Accounts payable	310	281
Payroll and benefits liabilities	129	95
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	193	183
Due to affiliates	1,736	1,408
Other current liabilities	224	216
Total current liabilities	2,638	2,187
Long-term debt	2,998	3,229
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	473	436
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	24	27
Income tax accruals	17	14
Due to affiliates	0	18
Other liabilities	54	38
Total liabilities	6,204	5,949
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock: par value $0.01 per share, 3.0 shares authorized, 0.9 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 0.8 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015; redemption amount and liquidation preference of $870 and $824 as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively	847	798
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	695	720
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	695	720
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,746	7,467
Guarantor Subsidiary [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	12	20	9	11
Accounts receivable, net	25	33
Inventories	13	6
Due from affiliates	1,509	1,325
Other current assets	37	31
Total current assets	1,596	1,415
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	1
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	98	152
Investments in subsidiaries	2,822	2,729
Due from affiliates	0	17
Other assets	56	55
Total assets	4,572	4,369
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	2	0
Payroll and benefits liabilities	0	1
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	5	24
Due to affiliates	154	137
Other current liabilities	6	3
Total current liabilities	167	165
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	3	3
Income tax accruals	4	13
Due to affiliates	35	37
Other liabilities	5	0
Total liabilities	214	218
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock: par value $0.01 per share, 3.0 shares authorized, 0.9 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 0.8 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015; redemption amount and liquidation preference of $870 and $824 as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	4,358	4,151
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	4,358	4,151
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	4,572	4,369
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	421	293	457	438
Accounts receivable, net	1,193	1,119
Inventories	414	402
Due from affiliates	400	288
Other current assets	162	203
Total current assets	2,590	2,305
Property, plant and equipment, net	158	181
Goodwill	1,739	1,753
Intangibles, net	496	586
Prepaid pension cost	94	130
Deferred income taxes	82	84
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affiliates	35	38
Other assets	100	104
Total assets	5,294	5,181
Short-term borrowings	4	9
Accounts payable	469	376
Payroll and benefits liabilities	105	93
Deferred service revenue and customer deposits	270	269
Due to affiliates	699	641
Other current liabilities	263	266
Total current liabilities	1,810	1,654
Long-term debt	3	10
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	266	260
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	100	103
Income tax accruals	121	140
Due to affiliates	1,053	1,072
Other liabilities	183	170
Total liabilities	3,536	3,409
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	15	16
Series A convertible preferred stock: par value $0.01 per share, 3.0 shares authorized, 0.9 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 0.8 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015; redemption amount and liquidation preference of $870 and $824 as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,739	1,750
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	4	6
Total stockholders’ equity	1,743	1,756
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	5,294	5,181
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Due from affiliates	(2,589)	(2,186)
Other current assets	(61)	(39)
Total current assets	(2,650)	(2,225)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(104)	(129)
Investments in subsidiaries	(6,097)	(5,901)
Due from affiliates	(1,088)	(1,127)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(9,939)	(9,382)
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	(2,589)	(2,186)
Other current liabilities	(61)	(39)
Total current liabilities	(2,650)	(2,225)
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	(1,088)	(1,127)
Other liabilities	(104)	(129)
Total liabilities	(3,842)	(3,481)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock: par value $0.01 per share, 3.0 shares authorized, 0.9 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 0.8 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015; redemption amount and liquidation preference of $870 and $824 as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively	0	0
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	(6,097)	(5,901)
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(6,097)	(5,901)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ (9,939)	$ (9,382)