Name:	axp_GainLossInChangesOfFairValueOfDerivativesNotDesignatedAsHedges
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount posted as initial margin for centrally cleared interest rate swaps which is not netted against the derivative balances.

No definition available.

Name:	axp_MarginOnInterestRateSwapNotNetted
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount of a net increase (decrease) to interest expense on long-term debt and other, primarily related to the net settlements on the Company's fair value hedges.

No definition available.

Name:	axp_NetIncreaseDecreaseToInterestExpenseLongTermDebtAndOtherRelatedToNetSettlementsOnFairValueHedges
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of hedged item in hedging relationship. Excludes hedged asset or liability.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4EE
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4EE

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAmountOfHedgedItem
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Amount of credit risk valuation adjustment to derivative assets to properly reflect the credit quality of the counterparties.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 35
-Paragraph 18L
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482134/820-10-35-18L

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeCreditRiskValuationAdjustmentDerivativeAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of credit risk valuation adjustment to derivative liabilities to properly reflect the credit quality of the entity.

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeCreditRiskValuationAdjustmentDerivativeLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Nominal or face amount used to calculate payment on derivative.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-1A

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 181
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480401/815-10-55-181

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-1B

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

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.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 182
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480401/815-10-55-182

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4A
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4A

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4B

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4B

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4B

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4B

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

Net Increase or Decrease in the fair value of the embedded derivative or group of embedded derivatives included in earnings in the period.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4A
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4A

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 15
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481116/815-15-25-1

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

Amount of liability hedged in fair value hedging relationship.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4EE
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4EE

Name:	us-gaap_HedgedLiabilityFairValueHedge
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of cumulative increase (decrease) in fair value of hedged liability in fair value hedge, attributable to hedged risk. Excludes cumulative basis adjustment related to foreign exchange risk.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4EE
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480434/815-10-50-4EE

Name:	us-gaap_HedgedLiabilityFairValueHedgeCumulativeIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount, before tax and reclassification, of gain (loss) from derivative designated and qualifying as net investment hedge.

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

Amount, before tax, of reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) for gain (loss) from derivative designated and qualifying as net investment hedge.

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

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=axp_FixedRateDebtObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementOfIncomeLocationBalanceAxis=us-gaap_OtherNoninterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_EmbeddedDerivativeFinancialInstrumentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: