Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Schedule of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees	[1]	$ 1,669	$ 1,667	$ 3,260	$ 3,233
Product sales and other	[1]	307	279	586	535
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		1,976	1,946	3,846	3,768
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		952	926	1,859	1,799
Total revenues		2,928	2,872	5,705	5,567
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		698	655	1,429	1,369
Cost of products sold		86	85	164	161
Selling, general, and administrative		500	526	1,064	1,046
Depreciation and amortization		238	252	476	503
Other operating expenses		24	19	45	20
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		1,546	1,537	3,178	3,099
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		952	926	1,859	1,799
Total expenses		2,498	2,463	5,037	4,898
Operating (loss) profit		430	409	668	669
Interest expense, net		(284)	(405)	(547)	(811)
Loss on debt extinguishment		(9)	0	(55)	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)		38	(24)	44	11
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		175	(20)	110	(131)
Income tax (benefit) expense		28	10	33	13
Equity earnings in affiliates		68	63	132	114
Net income (loss)		215	33	209	(30)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		63	59	113	108
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		152	(26)	96	(138)
Comprehensive income (loss)		174	71	104	(159)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		62	62	114	100
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		112	9	(10)	(259)
Reportable Legal Entities | FDC Parent Company
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		0	0	0	0
Product sales and other		0	0	0	0
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		0	0	0	0
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		0	0	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		0	0	0	0
Cost of products sold		0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative		39	27	205	59
Depreciation and amortization		2	5	3	9
Other operating expenses		0	7	12	6
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		41	39	220	74
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total expenses		41	39	220	74
Operating (loss) profit		(41)	(39)	(220)	(74)
Interest expense, net		(278)	(403)	(534)	(805)
Loss on debt extinguishment		(9)		(55)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		70	77	133	158
Other income (expense)		2	(30)	0	39
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		223	135	449	307
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(33)	(260)	(227)	(375)
Income tax (benefit) expense		(185)	(234)	(323)	(237)
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)		152	(26)	96	(138)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		152	(26)	96	(138)
Comprehensive income (loss)		112	8	(10)	(259)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		112	8	(10)	(259)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		975	980	1,923	1,894
Product sales and other		207	176	401	341
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		1,182	1,156	2,324	2,235
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		644	627	1,266	1,228
Total revenues		1,826	1,783	3,590	3,463
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		394	372	800	777
Cost of products sold		81	60	151	113
Selling, general, and administrative		289	290	543	577
Depreciation and amortization		141	151	290	301
Other operating expenses		22	2	29	4
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		927	875	1,813	1,772
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		644	627	1,266	1,228
Total expenses		1,571	1,502	3,079	3,000
Operating (loss) profit		255	281	511	463
Interest expense, net		(4)	(3)	(9)	(6)
Loss on debt extinguishment		0		0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		(57)	(79)	(119)	(156)
Other income (expense)		0	3	0	3
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		120	85	176	123
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		314	287	559	427
Income tax (benefit) expense		145	197	260	200
Equity earnings in affiliates		61	55	116	103
Net income (loss)		230	145	415	330
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		230	145	415	330
Comprehensive income (loss)		244	144	442	302
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		244	144	442	302
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		767	764	1,485	1,489
Product sales and other		137	118	254	223
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		904	882	1,739	1,712
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		308	299	593	571
Total revenues		1,212	1,181	2,332	2,283
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		351	360	703	742
Cost of products sold		45	40	85	77
Selling, general, and administrative		195	209	387	410
Depreciation and amortization		95	96	183	193
Other operating expenses		2	10	4	10
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		688	715	1,362	1,432
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		308	299	593	571
Total expenses		996	1,014	1,955	2,003
Operating (loss) profit		216	167	377	280
Interest expense, net		(2)	1	(4)	0
Loss on debt extinguishment		0		0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		(13)	2	(14)	(2)
Other income (expense)		36	3	44	(31)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		237	173	403	247
Income tax (benefit) expense		68	47	96	50
Equity earnings in affiliates		7	8	16	11
Net income (loss)		176	134	323	208
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		15	18	34	34
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		161	116	289	174
Comprehensive income (loss)		93	194	243	38
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		14	21	35	26
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		79	173	208	12
Consolidation Adjustments
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		(73)	(77)	(148)	(150)
Product sales and other		(37)	(15)	(69)	(29)
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		(110)	(92)	(217)	(179)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		(110)	(92)	(217)	(179)
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		(47)	(77)	(74)	(150)
Cost of products sold		(40)	(15)	(72)	(29)
Selling, general, and administrative		(23)	0	(71)	0
Depreciation and amortization		0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0	0	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		(110)	(92)	(217)	(179)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total expenses		(110)	(92)	(217)	(179)
Operating (loss) profit		0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net		0	0	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment		0		0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)		0	0	0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		(343)	(220)	(625)	(430)
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(343)	(220)	(625)	(430)
Income tax (benefit) expense		0	0	0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)		(343)	(220)	(625)	(430)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		48	41	79	74
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		(391)	(261)	(704)	(504)
Comprehensive income (loss)		(275)	(275)	(571)	(240)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		48	41	79	74
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		$ (323)	$ (316)	$ (650)	$ (314)

[1] Includes processing fees, administrative service fees, and other fees charged to merchant alliances accounted for under the equity method of $45 million and $98 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively, and $48 million and $98 million for the comparable periods in 2015.