Finance Receivables (Details 4) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables	$ 27,027	$ 28,256
Customer
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	1,715
2019	7,392
2018	4,635
2017	2,375
2016	1,117
Prior	898
Revolving Financing Receivables	549
Total Finance Receivables	18,681	19,364
Customer | North America
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		8,235
Customer | North America | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	934
2019	3,277
2018	2,015
2017	952
2016	455
Prior	155
Revolving Financing Receivables	157
Total Finance Receivables	7,945
Customer | North America | 31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	6
2019	55
2018	52
2017	29
2016	21
Prior	5
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	168
Customer | North America | 61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	11
2018	11
2017	10
2016	3
Prior	1
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	36
Customer | North America | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	14
2018	21
2017	15
2016	10
Prior	6
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	66
Customer | EAME
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		3,084
Customer | EAME | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	249
2019	1,164
2018	773
2017	358
2016	133
Prior	44
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	2,721
Customer | EAME | 31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	2
2019	11
2018	5
2017	4
2016	2
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	24
Customer | EAME | 61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	7
2018	3
2017	2
2016	1
Prior	1
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	14
Customer | EAME | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	8
2018	22
2017	23
2016	53
Prior	61
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	167
Customer | Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		2,816
Customer | Asia/Pacific | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	259
2019	1,249
2018	688
2017	240
2016	61
Prior	30
Revolving Financing Receivables	32
Total Finance Receivables	2,559
Customer | Asia/Pacific | 31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	2
2019	26
2018	25
2017	9
2016	0
Prior	1
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	63
Customer | Asia/Pacific | 61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	14
2018	14
2017	5
2016	1
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	34
Customer | Asia/Pacific | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	15
2018	17
2017	8
2016	1
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	41
Customer | Mining
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		2,290
Customer | Mining | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	85
2019	711
2018	413
2017	267
2016	139
Prior	217
Revolving Financing Receivables	199
Total Finance Receivables	2,031
Customer | Mining | 31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	0
2018	1
2017	0
2016	0
Prior	1
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	2
Customer | Mining | 61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	3
2018	12
2017	6
2016	0
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	21
Customer | Mining | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	12
2018	12
2017	23
2016	0
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	1
Total Finance Receivables	48
Customer | Latin America
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		1,275
Customer | Latin America | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	175
2019	483
2018	253
2017	88
2016	23
Prior	49
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	1,071
Customer | Latin America | 31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	15
2018	10
2017	8
2016	4
Prior	2
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	39
Customer | Latin America | 61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	5
2018	7
2017	5
2016	2
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	19
Customer | Latin America | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	11
2018	29
2017	24
2016	9
Prior	7
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	80
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		1,664
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	3
2019	301
2018	221
2017	287
2016	158
Prior	158
Revolving Financing Receivables	160
Total Finance Receivables	1,288
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	0
2018	11
2017	0
2016	4
Prior	11
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	26
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	0
2018	0
2017	1
2016	0
Prior	0
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	1
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2020	0
2019	0
2018	20
2017	11
2016	37
Prior	149
Revolving Financing Receivables	0
Total Finance Receivables	217
Dealer
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables	4,291	4,444
Dealer | Current
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables	4,213
Dealer | North America
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		2,514
Dealer | EAME
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		600
Dealer | Asia/Pacific
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		487
Dealer | Mining
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		4
Dealer | Latin America
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		836
Dealer | Latin America | 91 Plus Days Past Due
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
2017	$ 78
Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator
Total Finance Receivables		$ 3