Finance Receivables (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Amounts due in 2019	$ 14,131
Amounts due in 2020	6,047
Amounts due in 2021	3,821
Amounts due in 2022	2,291
Amounts due in 2023	1,027
Amounts due thereafter	763
Total	28,080
Guaranteed residual value	458
Unguaranteed residual value	857
Unearned income	(961)
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables	28,434	$ 27,491
Retail loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Amounts due in 2019	5,947
Amounts due in 2020	3,851
Amounts due in 2021	2,629
Amounts due in 2022	1,790
Amounts due in 2023	853
Amounts due thereafter	699
Total	15,769
Guaranteed residual value	0
Unguaranteed residual value	0
Unearned income	(260)
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables	15,509	16,142
Retail leases
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Amounts due in 2019	3,024
Amounts due in 2020	2,055
Amounts due in 2021	1,092
Amounts due in 2022	465
Amounts due in 2023	171
Amounts due thereafter	62
Total	6,869
Guaranteed residual value	416
Unguaranteed residual value	854
Unearned income	(640)
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables	7,499	7,111
Caterpillar Purchased Receivables
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Amounts due in 2019	4,745
Amounts due in 2020	0
Amounts due in 2021	0
Amounts due in 2022	0
Amounts due in 2023	0
Amounts due thereafter	0
Total	4,745
Guaranteed residual value	0
Unguaranteed residual value	0
Unearned income	(54)
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables	4,691	3,461
Wholesale loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Amounts due in 2019	386
Amounts due in 2020	120
Amounts due in 2021	88
Amounts due in 2022	31
Amounts due in 2023	1
Amounts due thereafter	0
Total	626
Guaranteed residual value	0
Unguaranteed residual value	0
Unearned income	0
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables	626	691
Wholesale leases
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Amounts due in 2019	29
Amounts due in 2020	21
Amounts due in 2021	12
Amounts due in 2022	5
Amounts due in 2023	2
Amounts due thereafter	2
Total	71
Guaranteed residual value	42
Unguaranteed residual value	3
Unearned income	(7)
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables	$ 109	$ 86

This element represents the guaranteed residual value of outstanding finance receivables.

No definition available.

Name:	cfsc_GuaranteedResidualValue
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the aggregate amount of finance receivables due as of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_OutstandingFinanceReceivablesAggregateAmounts
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of finance receivables due after year five following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_OutstandingFinanceReceivablesDueAfterYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of finance receivables due within the next twelve months following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_OutstandingFinanceReceivablesDueInNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of finance receivables due in year five following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_OutstandingFinanceReceivablesDueInYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of finance receivables due in year four following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_OutstandingFinanceReceivablesDueInYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of finance receivables due in year three following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_OutstandingFinanceReceivablesDueInYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of finance receivables due in year two following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the unguaranteed residual value of outstanding finance receivables.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cfsc_UnguaranteedResidualValue
Namespace Prefix:	cfsc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of deferred interest and fee income, unamortized costs incurred to originate loans and leases, unamortized loan commitments and loan syndication fees, and premiums over or discounts from face amounts of acquired loans. Excludes amounts for loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7)
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+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before allowance and after deduction of deferred interest and fees, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts, of loans and leases held in portfolio, including but not limited to, commercial and consumer loans. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
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+ Details

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

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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