Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	$ 695	$ 736
Profit before income taxes	127	142
Interest Expense	175	201
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	201	202
Provision for credit losses	61	53
Assets	32,332		$ 33,693
Capital expenditures	247	246
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	692	725
Profit before income taxes	142	181
Interest Expense	182	192
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	201	202
Provision for credit losses	61	53
Assets	30,736		32,402
Capital expenditures	246	243
Unallocated
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	9	19
Profit before income taxes	(70)	(83)
Interest Expense	56	64
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Assets	1,933		1,896
Capital expenditures	1	3
Segment Reconciling Items | Timing
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	(6)	(8)
Profit before income taxes	(1)	(5)
Interest Expense	0	0
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Assets	13		16
Capital expenditures	0	0
Segment Reconciling Items | Methodology
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	0	0
Profit before income taxes	56	49
Interest Expense	(63)	(55)
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Assets	(74)		(216)
Capital expenditures	0	0
Inter-segment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	0	0
Profit before income taxes	0	0
Interest Expense	0	0
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Assets	(276)		(405)
Capital expenditures	0	0
North America | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	382	400
Profit before income taxes	75	116
Interest Expense	94	97
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	144	143
Provision for credit losses	22	7
Assets	15,146		15,496
Capital expenditures	220	178
EAME | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	70	70
Profit before income taxes	16	23
Interest Expense	13	13
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	16	17
Provision for credit losses	7	(1)
Assets	4,624		4,918
Capital expenditures	4	23
Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	86	88
Profit before income taxes	36	39
Interest Expense	27	29
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	2	3
Provision for credit losses	7	3
Assets	4,163		4,540
Capital expenditures	3	6
Latin America | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	53	58
Profit before income taxes	6	3
Interest Expense	23	22
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	3	5
Provision for credit losses	7	15
Assets	2,590		2,809
Capital expenditures	3	2
Caterpillar Power Finance | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	20	29
Profit before income taxes	1	(16)
Interest Expense	8	13
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	0	0
Provision for credit losses	5	26
Assets	1,509		1,673
Capital expenditures	0	0
Mining | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information
External Revenues	81	80
Profit before income taxes	8	16
Interest Expense	17	18
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	36	34
Provision for credit losses	13	3
Assets	2,704		$ 2,966
Capital expenditures	$ 16	$ 34