Receivables - Nonperforming Consumer Receivable Portfolio (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Real estate secured	$ 31,930,000,000	[1],[2]	$ 32,939,000,000	[1],[2]
Receivables held for sale	6,354,000,000		6,203,000,000
Personal non-credit card			6,203,000,000
Total	38,284,000,000		39,142,000,000
Performing Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Real estate secured	29,036,000,000	[1],[2]	29,907,000,000	[1],[2]
Receivables held for sale	4,022,000,000
Personal non-credit card			4,042,000,000
Total	33,058,000,000		33,949,000,000
Nonperforming Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Real estate secured	2,894,000,000	[1],[2]	3,032,000,000	[1],[2]
Receivables held for sale	2,332,000,000
Personal non-credit card			2,161,000,000
Total	5,226,000,000		5,193,000,000
Nonperforming receivables held for investment (TDR)	2,000,000,000		2,100,000,000
Real estate secured [Member] | Nonperforming Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Nonperforming receivables held for investment	$ 1,900,000,000		$ 1,700,000,000

[1] At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, nonperforming real estate secured receivables held for investment include $2.0 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively, of TDR Loans, some of which may also be carried at fair value of the collateral less cost to sell

[2] At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, nonperforming real estate secured receivables held for investment include $1.9 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively, of receivables that are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value of the collateral less cost to sell.