Allowance for Credit Losses and Reserve for Unfunded Lending Commitments - Charge-Offs (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	$ 18
2023	293
2022	443
2021	314
2020	134
Prior	135
Total Term Loans	1,337
Revolving Loans	5,233
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	64
Total	6,634
Credit Card:
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Revolving Loans	5,196
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	64
Total	5,260
Credit Card: \| Domestic Card
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Revolving Loans	4,951
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	57
Total	5,008
Credit Card: \| International card businesses
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Revolving Loans	245
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	7
Total	252
Consumer Banking:
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	18
2023	293
2022	420
2021	309
2020	126
Prior	93
Total Term Loans	1,259
Revolving Loans	37
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	1,296
Consumer Banking: \| Auto
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	18
2023	293
2022	420
2021	309
2020	126
Prior	91
Total Term Loans	1,257
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	1,257
Consumer Banking: \| Retail banking
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	0
2023	0
2022	0
2021	0
2020	0
Prior	2
Total Term Loans	2
Revolving Loans	37
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	39
Commercial Banking:
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	0
2023	0
2022	23
2021	5
2020	8
Prior	42
Total Term Loans	78
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	78
Commercial Banking: \| Commercial and multifamily real estate
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	0
2023	0
2022	4
2021	0
2020	0
Prior	38
Total Term Loans	42
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	42
Commercial Banking: \| Commercial and industrial
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2024	0
2023	0
2022	19
2021	5
2020	8
Prior	4
Total Term Loans	36
Revolving Loans	0
Revolving Loans Converted to Term	0
Total	$ 36

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of decrease in allowance for credit loss on financing receivable from writeoff. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-6

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-13

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated more than five years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of revolving financing receivable converted to term loan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6A
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-6A

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable that can be withdrawn, repaid, and redrawn.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated four years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated three years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated in current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated two years before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, excluding accrued interest, of writeoff of financing receivable originated in fiscal year before current fiscal year. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 29
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-29

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-79

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=cof_CreditCardPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_DomesticCardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_InternationalCardBusinessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_ConsumerPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_AutomobileLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_RetailBankingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_CommercialAndMultifamilyRealEstateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=cof_CommercialAndIndustrialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: