Leasing - Lease Balances (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Assets
Operating lease assets	$ 397	$ 0
Finance lease assets	23
Accumulated Amortization of Finance lease assets	(2)
Total leased assets	418
Liabilities
Operating lease liabilities, current	91
Finance lease liabilities, current	7
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent	378	$ 0
Finance lease liabilities, noncurrent	16
Total lease liabilities	$ 492

Finance Lease, Right-Of-Use Asset, Accumulated Depreciation

No definition available.

Name:	ncr_FinanceLeaseRightOfUseAssetAccumulatedDepreciation
Namespace Prefix:	ncr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Lease, Liability

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ncr_LeaseLiability
Namespace Prefix:	ncr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Lease, Right-of-Use Asset

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ncr_LeaseRightofUseAsset
Namespace Prefix:	ncr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating and Finance Lease Assets, Lessee

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ncr_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Operating and Finance Lease Liabilities, Lessee

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ncr_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseRightOfUseAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as current.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilityNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under operating lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant