Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Schedule of the Results of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees	[1]									$ 6,597	$ 6,510	$ 6,345
Product sales and other	[1]									1,167	1,038	957
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										7,764	7,548	7,302
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										3,687	3,604	3,507
Total revenues		$ 2,964	$ 2,920	$ 2,872	$ 2,695	$ 2,883	$ 2,792	$ 2,837	$ 2,640	11,451	11,152	10,809
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										2,871	2,668	2,723
Cost of products sold										356	330	328
Selling, general, and administrative										2,292	2,043	1,980
Depreciation and amortization										1,022	1,056	1,091
Other operating expenses										53	13	56
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										6,594	6,110	6,178
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										3,687	3,604	3,507
Total expenses		2,865	2,518	2,463	2,435	2,465	2,439	2,455	2,355	10,281	9,714	9,685
Operating (loss) profit		99	402	409	260	418	353	382	285	1,170	1,438	1,124
Interest expense, net										(1,537)	(1,728)	(1,856)
Loss on debt extinguishment										(1,068)	(274)	(79)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										0	0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Other income (expense)										29	161	(47)
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										(1,406)	(403)	(858)
Income tax (benefit) expense										101	82	105
Equity earnings in affiliates										239	220	188
Net (loss) income		(1,163)	(75)	33	(63)	65	(188)	23	(165)	(1,268)	(265)	(775)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										213	193	177
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation		$ (1,217)	$ (126)	$ (26)	$ (112)	$ 12	$ (235)	$ (34)	$ (201)	(1,481)	(458)	(952)
Comprehensive (loss) income										(1,568)	(616)	(811)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										203	182	178
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										(1,771)	(798)	(989)
Reportable legal entities | FDC Parent Company
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										0	0	0
Product sales and other										0	0	0
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										0	0	0
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total revenues										0	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										0	0	0
Cost of products sold										0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative										476	131	115
Depreciation and amortization										12	10	7
Other operating expenses										8	10	26
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										496	151	148
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total expenses										496	151	148
Operating (loss) profit										(496)	(151)	(148)
Interest expense, net										(1,527)	(1,724)	(1,850)
Loss on debt extinguishment										(1,068)	(274)	(79)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										288	316	315
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										810	833	579
Other income (expense)										55	81	(53)
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										(1,938)	(919)	(1,236)
Income tax (benefit) expense										(457)	(461)	(284)
Equity earnings in affiliates										0	0	0
Net (loss) income										(1,481)	(458)	(952)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										(1,481)	(458)	(952)
Comprehensive (loss) income										(1,771)	(798)	(989)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										(1,771)	(798)	(989)
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										3,906	3,712	3,585
Product sales and other										741	625	570
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										4,647	4,337	4,155
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										2,521	2,510	2,510
Total revenues										7,168	6,847	6,665
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										1,576	1,403	1,508
Cost of products sold										260	223	217
Selling, general, and administrative										1,143	1,125	1,136
Depreciation and amortization										620	607	623
Other operating expenses										24	3	25
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										3,623	3,361	3,509
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										2,521	2,510	2,510
Total expenses										6,144	5,871	6,019
Operating (loss) profit										1,024	976	646
Interest expense, net										(10)	(9)	(10)
Loss on debt extinguishment										0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										(289)	(305)	(276)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										304	294	207
Other income (expense)										3	100	(3)
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										1,032	1,056	564
Income tax (benefit) expense										422	377	250
Equity earnings in affiliates										213	202	169
Net (loss) income										823	881	483
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										823	881	483
Comprehensive (loss) income										760	709	453
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										760	709	453
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										2,999	3,056	2,987
Product sales and other										503	473	447
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										3,502	3,529	3,434
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										1,166	1,094	997
Total revenues										4,668	4,623	4,431
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										1,473	1,523	1,442
Cost of products sold										173	167	171
Selling, general, and administrative										803	787	729
Depreciation and amortization										390	439	461
Other operating expenses										21	0	5
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										2,860	2,916	2,808
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										1,166	1,094	997
Total expenses										4,026	4,010	3,805
Operating (loss) profit										642	613	626
Interest expense, net										0	5	4
Loss on debt extinguishment										0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										1	(11)	(39)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Other income (expense)										(29)	(20)	9
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										614	587	600
Income tax (benefit) expense										136	166	139
Equity earnings in affiliates										26	18	19
Net (loss) income										504	439	480
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										66	66	56
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										438	373	424
Comprehensive (loss) income										158	187	388
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										56	55	57
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										102	132	331
Consolidation Adjustments
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										(308)	(258)	(227)
Product sales and other										(77)	(60)	(60)
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										(385)	(318)	(287)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total revenues										(385)	(318)	(287)
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										(178)	(258)	(227)
Cost of products sold										(77)	(60)	(60)
Selling, general, and administrative										(130)	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										0	0	0
Other operating expenses										0	0	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										(385)	(318)	(287)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total expenses										(385)	(318)	(287)
Operating (loss) profit										0	0	0
Interest expense, net										0	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment										0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										0	0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										(1,114)	(1,127)	(786)
Other income (expense)										0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										(1,114)	(1,127)	(786)
Income tax (benefit) expense										0	0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates										0	0	0
Net (loss) income										(1,114)	(1,127)	(786)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										147	127	121
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										(1,261)	(1,254)	(907)
Comprehensive (loss) income										(715)	(714)	(663)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										147	127	121
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation										$ (862)	$ (841)	$ (784)

[1] Includes processing fees, administrative service fees, and other fees charged to merchant alliances accounted for under the equity method of $205 million, $181 million, and $164 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.