Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Schedule of the Results of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees	[1]									$ 6,600	$ 6,597	$ 6,510
Product sales and other	[1]									1,239	1,167	1,038
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										7,839	7,764	7,548
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										3,745	3,687	3,604
Total revenues		$ 2,943	$ 2,936	$ 2,928	$ 2,777	$ 2,964	$ 2,920	$ 2,872	$ 2,695	11,584	11,451	11,152
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										2,855	2,871	2,668
Cost of products sold										337	356	330
Selling, general, and administrative										2,035	2,292	2,043
Depreciation and amortization										949	1,022	1,056
Other operating expenses										61	53	13
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										6,237	6,594	6,110
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										3,745	3,687	3,604
Total expenses		2,463	2,482	2,498	2,539	2,865	2,518	2,463	2,435	9,982	10,281	9,714
Operating (loss) profit		480	454	430	238	99	402	409	260	1,602	1,170	1,438
Interest expense, net										(1,068)	(1,537)	(1,728)
Loss on debt extinguishment										(70)	(1,068)	(274)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										0	0	0
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Other income										17	29	161
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										481	(1,406)	(403)
Income tax (benefit) expense										81	101	82
Equity earnings in affiliates										260	239	220
Net income (loss)		251	200	215	(6)	(1,163)	(75)	33	(63)	660	(1,268)	(265)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										240	213	193
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation		$ 192	$ 132	$ 152	$ (56)	$ (1,217)	$ (126)	$ (26)	$ (112)	420	(1,481)	(458)
Comprehensive (loss) income										548	(1,568)	(616)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										235	203	182
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										313	(1,771)	(798)
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 debit network 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										318	476	131
Depreciation and amortization										5	12	10
Other operating expenses										7	8	10
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										330	496	151
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total expenses										330	496	151
Operating (loss) profit										(330)	(496)	(151)
Interest expense, net										(1,044)	(1,527)	(1,724)
Loss on debt extinguishment										(70)	(1,068)	(274)
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										234	288	316
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										997	810	833
Other income										(1)	55	81
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										(214)	(1,938)	(919)
Income tax (benefit) expense										(635)	(457)	(461)
Equity earnings in affiliates										(1)	0	0
Net income (loss)										420	(1,481)	(458)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										420	(1,481)	(458)
Comprehensive (loss) income										313	(1,771)	(798)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										313	(1,771)	(798)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										3,924	3,906	3,712
Product sales and other										835	741	625
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										4,759	4,647	4,337
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										2,527	2,521	2,510
Total revenues										7,286	7,168	6,847
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										1,597	1,576	1,403
Cost of products sold										315	260	223
Selling, general, and administrative										1,077	1,143	1,125
Depreciation and amortization										571	620	607
Other operating expenses										41	24	3
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										3,601	3,623	3,361
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										2,527	2,521	2,510
Total expenses										6,128	6,144	5,871
Operating (loss) profit										1,158	1,024	976
Interest expense, net										(18)	(10)	(9)
Loss on debt extinguishment										0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										(219)	(289)	(305)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										369	304	294
Other income										(1)	3	100
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										1,289	1,032	1,056
Income tax (benefit) expense										490	422	377
Equity earnings in affiliates										231	213	202
Net income (loss)										1,030	823	881
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										1,030	823	881
Comprehensive (loss) income										1,055	760	709
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										1,055	760	709
Reportable Legal Entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										2,979	2,999	3,056
Product sales and other										555	503	473
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										3,534	3,502	3,529
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										1,218	1,166	1,094
Total revenues										4,752	4,668	4,623
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										1,447	1,473	1,523
Cost of products sold										182	173	167
Selling, general, and administrative										745	803	787
Depreciation and amortization										373	390	439
Other operating expenses										13	21	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										2,760	2,860	2,916
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										1,218	1,166	1,094
Total expenses										3,978	4,026	4,010
Operating (loss) profit										774	642	613
Interest expense, net										(6)	0	5
Loss on debt extinguishment										0	0	0
Interest income (expense) from intercompany notes										(15)	1	(11)
Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Other income										19	(29)	(20)
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										772	614	587
Income tax (benefit) expense										226	136	166
Equity earnings in affiliates										30	26	18
Net income (loss)										576	504	439
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										64	66	66
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										512	438	373
Comprehensive (loss) income										384	158	187
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										59	56	55
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										325	102	132
Consolidation Adjustments
Revenues:
Transaction and processing service fees										(303)	(308)	(258)
Product sales and other										(151)	(77)	(60)
Total revenues (excluding reimbursable items)										(454)	(385)	(318)
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total revenues										(454)	(385)	(318)
Expenses:
Cost of services (exclusive of items shown below)										(189)	(178)	(258)
Cost of products sold										(160)	(77)	(60)
Selling, general, and administrative										(105)	(130)	0
Depreciation and amortization										0	0	0
Other operating expenses										0	0	0
Total expenses (excluding reimbursable items)										(454)	(385)	(318)
Reimbursable debit network fees, postage, and other										0	0	0
Total expenses										(454)	(385)	(318)
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										(1,366)	(1,114)	(1,127)
Other income										0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings in affiliates										(1,366)	(1,114)	(1,127)
Income tax (benefit) expense										0	0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates										0	0	0
Net income (loss)										(1,366)	(1,114)	(1,127)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										176	147	127
Net income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										(1,542)	(1,261)	(1,254)
Comprehensive (loss) income										(1,204)	(715)	(714)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest										176	147	127
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to First Data Corporation										$ (1,380)	$ (862)	$ (841)

[1] Includes processing fees, administrative service fees, and other fees charged to merchant alliances accounted for under the equity method of $198 million, $205 million, and $181 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.