Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Schedule of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees	[1]	$ 1,693	$ 1,673	$ 4,953	$ 4,906
Product sales and other	[1]	307	309	893	844
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		2,000	1,982	5,846	5,750
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		936	938	2,795	2,737
Total revenues		2,936	2,920	8,641	8,487
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		711	686	2,140	2,055
Cost of products sold		87	96	251	257
Selling, general, and administrative		499	521	1,563	1,567
Depreciation and amortization		237	257	713	760
Other operating expenses		12	20	57	40
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		1,546	1,580	4,724	4,679
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		936	938	2,795	2,737
Total expenses		2,482	2,518	7,519	7,416
Operating (loss) profit		454	402	1,122	1,071
Interest expense, net		(263)	(388)	(810)	(1,199)
Loss on debt extinguishment		(3)	(108)	(58)	(108)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)		(30)	(10)	14	1
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		158	(104)	268	(235)
Income tax (benefit) expense		24	32	57	45
Equity earnings in affiliates		66	61	198	175
Net income (loss)		200	(75)	409	(105)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		68	51	181	159
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		132	(126)	228	(264)
Comprehensive income (loss)		261	(162)	365	(321)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		69	51	183	151
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		192	(213)	182	(472)
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		56	22	261	81
Depreciation and amortization		1	1	4	10
Other operating expenses		0	1	12	7
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		57	24	277	98
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total expenses		57	24	277	98
Operating (loss) profit		(57)	(24)	(277)	(98)
Interest expense, net		(258)	(386)	(792)	(1,191)
Loss on debt extinguishment		(3)	(108)	(58)	(108)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		59	65	192	223
Other income (expense)		(2)	(18)	(2)	21
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		240	570	689	877
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(21)	99	(248)	(276)
Income tax (benefit) expense		(154)	225	(477)	(12)
Equity earnings in affiliates		(1)	0	(1)	0
Net income (loss)		132	(126)	228	(264)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		132	(126)	228	(264)
Comprehensive income (loss)		192	(214)	182	(473)
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		192	(214)	182	(473)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		1,003	1,002	2,926	2,896
Product sales and other		208	197	609	538
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		1,211	1,199	3,535	3,434
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		637	646	1,903	1,874
Total revenues		1,848	1,845	5,438	5,308
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		408	413	1,208	1,190
Cost of products sold		84	68	235	181
Selling, general, and administrative		272	299	815	876
Depreciation and amortization		140	158	430	459
Other operating expenses		3	10	32	14
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		907	948	2,720	2,720
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		637	646	1,903	1,874
Total expenses		1,544	1,594	4,623	4,594
Operating (loss) profit		304	251	815	714
Interest expense, net		(4)	(2)	(13)	(8)
Loss on debt extinguishment		0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		(57)	(68)	(176)	(224)
Other income (expense)		0	0	0	3
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		(1)	111	175	234
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		242	292	801	719
Income tax (benefit) expense		144	(197)	404	3
Equity earnings in affiliates		59	55	175	158
Net income (loss)		157	544	572	874
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		157	544	572	874
Comprehensive income (loss)		169	494	611	796
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		169	494	611	796
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		763	753	2,248	2,242
Product sales and other		144	131	398	354
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		907	884	2,646	2,596
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		299	292	892	863
Total revenues		1,206	1,176	3,538	3,459
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		360	355	1,063	1,097
Cost of products sold		48	47	133	124
Selling, general, and administrative		187	200	574	610
Depreciation and amortization		96	98	279	291
Other operating expenses		9	9	13	19
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		700	709	2,062	2,141
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		299	292	892	863
Total expenses		999	1,001	2,954	3,004
Operating (loss) profit		207	175	584	455
Interest expense, net		(1)	0	(5)	0
Loss on debt extinguishment		0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		(2)	3	(16)	1
Other income (expense)		(28)	8	16	(23)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		176	186	579	433
Income tax (benefit) expense		34	4	130	54
Equity earnings in affiliates		8	6	24	17
Net income (loss)		150	188	473	396
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		16	15	50	49
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		134	173	423	347
Comprehensive income (loss)		211	83	454	121
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		17	15	52	41
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		194	68	402	80
Consolidation Adjustments
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees		(73)	(82)	(221)	(232)
Product sales and other		(45)	(19)	(114)	(48)
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)		(118)	(101)	(335)	(280)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		(118)	(101)	(335)	(280)
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)		(57)	(82)	(131)	(232)
Cost of products sold		(45)	(19)	(117)	(48)
Selling, general, and administrative		(16)	0	(87)	0
Depreciation and amortization		0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0	0	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)		(118)	(101)	(335)	(280)
Reimbursable PIN debit fees, postage, and other		0	0	0	0
Total expenses		(118)	(101)	(335)	(280)
Operating (loss) profit		0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net		0	0	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment		0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes		0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)		0	0	0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		(239)	(681)	(864)	(1,111)
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates		(239)	(681)	(864)	(1,111)
Income tax (benefit) expense		0	0	0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)		(239)	(681)	(864)	(1,111)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		52	36	131	110
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		(291)	(717)	(995)	(1,221)
Comprehensive income (loss)		(311)	(525)	(882)	(765)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest		52	36	131	110
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation, net of tax		$ (363)	$ (561)	$ (1,013)	$ (875)

[1] Includes processing fees, administrative service fees, and other fees charged to merchant alliances accounted for under the equity method of $52 million and $150 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, and $55 million and $153 million for the comparable periods in 2015.