Reserves For Losses (Details 1) - Card member loans evaluated separately and collectively for impairment [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Card Member Loans And Related Reserves Evaluated Separately And Collectively For Impairment [Line Items]
Card Member loans evaluated separately for impairment	$ 588	$ 532
Reserves on Card Member loans evaluated separately for impairment	108	94
Card Member loans evaluated collectively for impairment	80,407	81,322
Reserves on Card Member loans evaluated collectively for impairment	$ 2,013	$ 2,040

No definition available.

Name:	axp_CardMemberLoansAndRelatedReservesEvaluatedSeparatelyAndCollectivelyForImpairmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	axp_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible that were collectively evaluated for impairment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible that were individually evaluated for impairment.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossesIndividuallyEvaluatedForImpairment1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The balance of financing receivables that were collectively evaluated for impairment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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

- Definition

The balance of financing receivables that were individually evaluated for impairment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	axp_CardmemberloansandrelatedreservesevaluatedseparatelyandcollectivelyforimpairmentaxisaxisAxis=axp_CardmemberloansevaluatedseparatelyandcollectivelyforimpairmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: