Investment Securities - Schedule of Gross Realized Gains and Losses on Available-for-Sale Securities and OTTI Recognized in Earnings (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Realized gains (losses):
Gross realized gains	$ 144	$ 12	$ 23
Gross realized losses	(74)	(6)	(25)
Net realized gains (losses)	70	6	(2)
OTTI recognized in earnings:
Credit-related OTTI	(2)	(11)	(25)
Intent to Sell OTTI	(3)	(6)	(5)
Total OTTI recognized in earnings	(5)	(17)	(30)
Net securities gains (losses)	65	(11)	(32)
Proceeds from sales	$ 8,181	$ 4,146	$ 4,379

Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized In Earnings, Additions

No definition available.

Name:	cof_OtherthanTemporaryImpairmentCreditLossesRecognizedInEarningsAdditions
Namespace Prefix:	cof_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Portion Recognized in Earnings, Net, Available-for-sale Securities, Intent to Sell

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cof_OtherthanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedinEarningsNetAvailableforsaleSecuritiesIntenttoSell
Namespace Prefix:	cof_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Additionally, this item would include any losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments in debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the gross profit realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGains
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82896770&loc=d3e26805-111562

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairmentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities classified as available-for-sale. Excludes other than temporary impairments (OTTI).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsAvailableforsaleSecuritiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of other than temporary impairment losses on investments in debt and equity securities categorized as Available-for-sale which have been recognized in earnings during the period. Such impairment losses consist of other than temporary impairments (OTTI) on equity securities, credit losses on investments in debt securities, and when the entity intends to sell an impaired debt security or it is more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell the impaired debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 8A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82896770&loc=SL6284422-111562

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNetAvailableforsaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the sale of debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82896770&loc=d3e26853-111562

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (a),(b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration