Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Revenue Recognition Standard Impact [Text Block]

Beginning with the quarter ending March 31, 2018, the Company’s consolidated financial statements will reflect the adoption of the standard using the full retrospective method, which applies the new standard to each prior reporting period presented. The most significant impacts of the adoption are changes to the presentation of certain credit and charge card related costs that previously were netted against Discount revenue, including Card Member cash-back reward costs and statement credits, corporate client incentive payments, as well as payments to third-party card issuing partners. Under the new standard, these costs are not considered components of the transaction price of our card acceptance agreements with merchants and thus are not netted against Discount revenue, but instead recognized as expenses. Our payments to third-party card issuing partners will be presented net of related Other revenues earned from the partners.

These reclassifications are expected to have the following impacts to the reported results for the fiscal years ended:

		Increase (Decrease)
December 31 (Millions)			2017		2016
Revenues
	Discount revenue	$	3,707	$	3,699
	Other		(278)		(253)
Expenses
	Marketing and promotion		2,350		2,420
	Card Member rewards	$	1,079	$	1,026