Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Schedule of Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 475	$ 429	$ 368	$ 358
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	1,714	1,826
Settlement assets	8,705	8,150
Intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Other current assets	460	381
Total current assets	11,354	10,786
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	896	951
Goodwill	16,825	16,846
Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization	1,845	2,136
Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization	1,793	1,783
Investment in affiliates	1,003	1,048
Long-term intercompany receivables	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Long-term deferred tax assets	0	0
Other long-term assets	728	812
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total assets	34,444	34,362
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,556	1,639
Short-term and current portion of long-term borrowings	377	856
Settlement obligations	8,705	8,150
Intercompany notes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	10,638	10,645
Long-term borrowings	18,514	18,737
Deferred tax liabilities	410	431
Long-term intercompany payables	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes payable	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	836	812
Total liabilities	30,398	30,625
Redeemable equity interest	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	73	77	78	70
First Data Corporation stockholders' equity	1,038	668
Noncontrolling interests	2,935	2,992
Equity of consolidated alliance	0	0
Total equity	3,973	3,660	1,986	2,530
Total liabilities and equity	34,444	34,362
Reportable Legal Entities | FDC Parent Company
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	8	105	19	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Settlement assets	0	0
Intercompany notes receivable	1	436
Other current assets	108	98
Total current assets	117	639
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	34	37
Goodwill	0	0
Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization	604	604
Investment in affiliates	4	5
Long-term intercompany receivables	10,070	8,523
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	3,446	3,415
Long-term deferred tax assets	449	524
Other long-term assets	185	259
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	26,658	25,692
Total assets	41,567	39,698
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	250	283
Short-term and current portion of long-term borrowings	0	740
Settlement obligations	0	0
Intercompany notes payable	0	96
Total current liabilities	250	1,119
Long-term borrowings	18,316	18,616
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Long-term intercompany payables	21,261	18,583
Long-term intercompany notes payable	228	245
Other long-term liabilities	474	467
Total liabilities	40,529	39,030
Redeemable equity interest	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
First Data Corporation stockholders' equity	1,038	668
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity of consolidated alliance	0	0
Total equity	1,038	668
Total liabilities and equity	41,567	39,698
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	18	16	22	23
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	487	826
Settlement assets	4,222	4,273
Intercompany notes receivable	0	86
Other current assets	203	188
Total current assets	4,930	5,389
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	600	640
Goodwill	9,145	9,139
Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization	1,078	1,235
Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization	706	703
Investment in affiliates	873	900
Long-term intercompany receivables	17,144	15,192
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	219	236
Long-term deferred tax assets	0	0
Other long-term assets	342	358
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	5,862	5,588
Total assets	40,899	39,380
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	758	792
Short-term and current portion of long-term borrowings	94	70
Settlement obligations	4,222	4,273
Intercompany notes payable	0	408
Total current liabilities	5,074	5,543
Long-term borrowings	183	119
Deferred tax liabilities	766	875
Long-term intercompany payables	8,002	6,874
Long-term intercompany notes payable	3,446	3,353
Other long-term liabilities	253	288
Total liabilities	17,724	17,052
Redeemable equity interest	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
First Data Corporation stockholders' equity	23,175	22,328
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Equity of consolidated alliance	0	0
Total equity	23,175	22,328
Total liabilities and equity	40,899	39,380
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	449	308	327	335
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	1,227	1,000
Settlement assets	4,483	3,877
Intercompany notes receivable	0	10
Other current assets	149	95
Total current assets	6,308	5,290
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	262	274
Goodwill	7,680	7,707
Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization	767	901
Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization	483	476
Investment in affiliates	126	143
Long-term intercompany receivables	7,290	6,321
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	9	9
Long-term deferred tax assets	0	0
Other long-term assets	251	265
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total assets	23,176	21,386
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	548	564
Short-term and current portion of long-term borrowings	283	46
Settlement obligations	4,483	3,877
Intercompany notes payable	1	28
Total current liabilities	5,315	4,515
Long-term borrowings	15	2
Deferred tax liabilities	93	80
Long-term intercompany payables	5,241	4,579
Long-term intercompany notes payable	0	62
Other long-term liabilities	159	127
Total liabilities	10,823	9,365
Redeemable equity interest	73	77
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
First Data Corporation stockholders' equity	6,403	5,933
Noncontrolling interests	104	88
Equity of consolidated alliance	5,773	5,923
Total equity	12,280	11,944
Total liabilities and equity	23,176	21,386
Consolidation Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Settlement assets	0	0
Intercompany notes receivable	(1)	(532)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(1)	(532)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Long-term intercompany receivables	(34,504)	(30,036)
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(3,674)	(3,660)
Long-term deferred tax assets	(449)	(524)
Other long-term assets	(50)	(70)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(32,520)	(31,280)
Total assets	(71,198)	(66,102)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Short-term and current portion of long-term borrowings	0	0
Settlement obligations	0	0
Intercompany notes payable	(1)	(532)
Total current liabilities	(1)	(532)
Long-term borrowings	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	(449)	(524)
Long-term intercompany payables	(34,504)	(30,036)
Long-term intercompany notes payable	(3,674)	(3,660)
Other long-term liabilities	(50)	(70)
Total liabilities	(38,678)	(34,822)
Redeemable equity interest	(73)	(77)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	73	77
First Data Corporation stockholders' equity	(29,578)	(28,261)
Noncontrolling interests	2,831	2,904
Equity of consolidated alliance	(5,773)	(5,923)
Total equity	(32,520)	(31,280)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (71,198)	$ (66,102)