Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Schedule of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees	[1]	$ 1,591	$ 1,566
Product sales and other	[1]	279	256
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		1,870	1,822
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		907	873
Total revenues		2,777	2,695
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		731	714
Cost of products sold		78	76
Selling, general, and administrative		564	520
Depreciation and amortization		238	251
Other operating (income) expenses		21	1
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		1,632	1,562
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		907	873
Total expenses		2,539	2,435
Operating (loss) profit		238	260
Interest expense, net		(263)	(406)
Loss on debt extinguishment		(46)	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		0	0
Other (expense) income		6	35
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(65)	(111)
Income tax (benefit) expense		5	3
Equity earnings in affiliates		64	51
Net (loss) income		(6)	(63)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		50	49
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation		(56)	(112)
Comprehensive (loss) income		(70)	(230)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		52	38
Comprehensive loss attributable to First Data Corporation		(122)	(268)
Reportable Legal Entities | FDC Parent Company
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		0	0
Product sales and other		0	0
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		0	0
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0
Total revenues		0	0
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		0	0
Cost of products sold		0	0
Selling, general, and administrative		166	32
Depreciation and amortization		1	4
Other operating (income) expenses		12	(1)
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		179	35
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0
Total expenses		179	35
Operating (loss) profit		(179)	(35)
Interest expense, net		(256)	(402)
Loss on debt extinguishment		(46)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		63	81
Other (expense) income		(2)	69
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		226	172
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(194)	(115)
Income tax (benefit) expense		(138)	(3)
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0
Net (loss) income		(56)	(112)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation		(56)	(112)
Comprehensive (loss) income		(122)	(267)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0
Comprehensive loss attributable to First Data Corporation		(122)	(267)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		948	914
Product sales and other		194	165
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		1,142	1,079
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		622	601
Total revenues		1,764	1,680
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		406	405
Cost of products sold		70	53
Selling, general, and administrative		254	287
Depreciation and amortization		149	150
Other operating (income) expenses		7	2
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		886	897
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		622	601
Total expenses		1,508	1,498
Operating (loss) profit		256	182
Interest expense, net		(5)	(3)
Loss on debt extinguishment		0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		(62)	(77)
Other (expense) income		0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		56	38
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		245	140
Income tax (benefit) expense		115	3
Equity earnings in affiliates		55	48
Net (loss) income		185	185
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation		185	185
Comprehensive (loss) income		198	158
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0
Comprehensive loss attributable to First Data Corporation		198	158
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		718	725
Product sales and other		117	105
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		835	830
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		285	272
Total revenues		1,120	1,102
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		352	382
Cost of products sold		40	37
Selling, general, and administrative		192	201
Depreciation and amortization		88	97
Other operating (income) expenses		2	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		674	717
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		285	272
Total expenses		959	989
Operating (loss) profit		161	113
Interest expense, net		(2)	(1)
Loss on debt extinguishment		0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		(1)	(4)
Other (expense) income		8	(34)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		166	74
Income tax (benefit) expense		28	3
Equity earnings in affiliates		9	3
Net (loss) income		147	74
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		19	16
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation		128	58
Comprehensive (loss) income		150	(156)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		21	5
Comprehensive loss attributable to First Data Corporation		129	(161)
Consolidation Adjustments
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		(75)	(73)
Product sales and other		(32)	(14)
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		(107)	(87)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0
Total revenues		(107)	(87)
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		(27)	(73)
Cost of products sold		(32)	(14)
Selling, general, and administrative		(48)	0
Depreciation and amortization		0	0
Other operating (income) expenses		0	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		(107)	(87)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0
Total expenses		(107)	(87)
Operating (loss) profit		0	0
Interest expense, net		0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment		0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		0	0
Other (expense) income		0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		(282)	(210)
(Loss) income before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(282)	(210)
Income tax (benefit) expense		0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0
Net (loss) income		(282)	(210)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		31	33
Net (loss) income attributable to First Data Corporation		(313)	(243)
Comprehensive (loss) income		(296)	35
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		31	33
Comprehensive loss attributable to First Data Corporation		$ (327)	$ 2

[1] Includes processing fees, administrative service fees, and other fees charged to merchant alliances accounted for under the equity method of $53 million and $50 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.