Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Guarantor Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 414	$ 464	$ 348
Accounts receivable, net	1,335	1,356
Inventories	874	806
Due from affiliates	0	0
Other current assets	393	397
Total current assets	3,016	3,023
Property, plant and equipment, net	373	359
Goodwill	2,705	2,692
Intangibles, net	573	595
Operating lease assets	433	0
Prepaid pension cost	148	140
Deferred income taxes	453	448
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affilates	0	0
Other assets	497	504
Total assets	8,198	7,761
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	297	185
Accounts payable	788	897
Payroll and benefits liabilities	184	238
Contract liabilities	566	461
Due to affiliates	0	0
Other current liabilities	546	501
Total current liabilities	2,381	2,282
Long-term debt	2,914	2,980
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	760	759
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	120	118
Income tax accruals	93	91
Due to affiliates	0	0
Operating lease liabilities	406	0
Other liabilities	184	259
Total liabilities	6,858	6,489
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	14	14
Series A convertible preferred stock	872	859
Stockholders’ equity
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	449	395
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	5	4
Total stockholders’ equity	454	399
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	8,198	7,761
Eliminations
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Due from affiliates	(3,093)	(3,257)
Other current assets	(41)	(42)
Total current assets	(3,134)	(3,299)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Operating lease assets	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(13)	(18)
Investments in subsidiaries	(6,339)	(6,098)
Due from affilates	(52)	(52)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(9,538)	(9,467)
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Payroll and benefits liabilities	0	0
Contract liabilities	0	0
Due to affiliates	(3,093)	(3,257)
Other current liabilities	(41)	(42)
Total current liabilities	(3,134)	(3,299)
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	(52)	(52)
Operating lease liabilities	0
Other liabilities	(13)	(18)
Total liabilities	(3,199)	(3,369)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Stockholders’ equity
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	(6,339)	(6,098)
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(6,339)	(6,098)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	(9,538)	(9,467)
Parent Issuer
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	18	6	21
Accounts receivable, net	43	37
Inventories	293	288
Due from affiliates	615	708
Other current assets	133	137
Total current assets	1,102	1,176
Property, plant and equipment, net	257	245
Goodwill	2,194	2,168
Intangibles, net	515	536
Operating lease assets	282
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	318	317
Investments in subsidiaries	3,338	3,244
Due from affilates	16	16
Other assets	442	453
Total assets	8,464	8,155
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	91	85
Accounts payable	379	397
Payroll and benefits liabilities	90	141
Contract liabilities	283	221
Due to affiliates	2,231	2,177
Other current liabilities	213	201
Total current liabilities	3,287	3,222
Long-term debt	2,911	2,978
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	508	502
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	17	18
Income tax accruals	19	19
Due to affiliates	0	0
Operating lease liabilities	307
Other liabilities	94	162
Total liabilities	7,143	6,901
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	872	859
Stockholders’ equity
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	449	395
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	449	395
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	8,464	8,155
Guarantor Subsidiary
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	6	8	11
Accounts receivable, net	14	10
Inventories	7	4
Due from affiliates	2,074	2,092
Other current assets	46	47
Total current assets	2,147	2,161
Property, plant and equipment, net	1	1
Goodwill	0	0
Intangibles, net	0	0
Operating lease assets	0
Prepaid pension cost	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	3,001	2,854
Due from affilates	1	1
Other assets	3	4
Total assets	5,153	5,021
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	2	2
Payroll and benefits liabilities	0	0
Contract liabilities	13	5
Due to affiliates	126	143
Other current liabilities	4	6
Total current liabilities	145	156
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	0	0
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	4	3
Income tax accruals	6	5
Due to affiliates	35	36
Operating lease liabilities	0
Other liabilities	19	24
Total liabilities	209	224
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Stockholders’ equity
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	4,944	4,797
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	4,944	4,797
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	5,153	5,021
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	390	450	$ 316
Accounts receivable, net	1,278	1,309
Inventories	574	514
Due from affiliates	404	457
Other current assets	255	255
Total current assets	2,901	2,985
Property, plant and equipment, net	115	113
Goodwill	511	524
Intangibles, net	58	59
Operating lease assets	151
Prepaid pension cost	148	140
Deferred income taxes	148	149
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Due from affilates	35	35
Other assets	52	47
Total assets	4,119	4,052
Current liabilities
Short-term borrowings	206	100
Accounts payable	407	498
Payroll and benefits liabilities	94	97
Contract liabilities	270	235
Due to affiliates	736	937
Other current liabilities	370	336
Total current liabilities	2,083	2,203
Long-term debt	3	2
Pension and indemnity plan liabilities	252	257
Postretirement and postemployment benefits liabilities	99	97
Income tax accruals	68	67
Due to affiliates	17	16
Operating lease liabilities	99
Other liabilities	84	91
Total liabilities	2,705	2,733
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	14	14
Series A convertible preferred stock	0	0
Stockholders’ equity
Total NCR stockholders’ equity	1,395	1,301
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	5	4
Total stockholders’ equity	1,400	1,305
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 4,119	$ 4,052