Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2014

Accounts Receivable And Loans and Reserves For Card Member Losses [Abstract]

Card Member and Other Receivables and Loans

The Company's charge and lending payment card products result in the generation of Card Member receivables and Card Member loans, respectively. For information on the Company's accounts receivable and loans and the related accounting policies, refer to Note 4 on pages 72 – 76 of the Annual Report.

Impaired Card MemberLoans and Receivables

Impaired loans and receivables are defined by GAAP as individual larger balance or homogeneous pools of smaller balance loans and receivables for which it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original contractual terms of the Card Member agreement. For information on impaired Card Member loans and receivables and the related accounting policies, refer to Note 4 on pages 74 – 76of the Annual Report.

Reserves For Losses Policy [Abstract]

Reserves for losses

Reserves for losses relating to Card Member loans and receivables represent management's best estimate of the probable losses inherent in the Company's outstanding portfolio of loans and receivables, as of the balance sheet date. Management's evaluation process requires certain estimates and judgments. For information on the Company's reserves for losses and the related accounting policies, refer to Note 5on pages 77 – 78 of the Annual Report.

Investments [Abstract]

Investments

Investment securities include debt and equity securities that the Companyclassifies as available for sale. The Company's investment securities, principally debt securities, are carried at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets with unrealizedgains (losses) recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI), net of income taxes. Realized gains and losses are recognized in results of operations upon disposition of the securities using the specific identification method on a trade date basis. For information on the Company's methodology for determining the fair value of investment securities and related accounting policies, refer to Note 3on pages 68 – 71of the Annual Report.

Overall, for the investment securities in gross unrealized loss positions (i) the Company does not currently intend to sell the investment securities, (ii) it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell the investment securities before recovery of the unrealized losses, and (iii) the Company expects that the contractual principal and interest will be received on the investment securities. As a result, the Company recognized no other-than-temporary impairment during theperiods presented.

Asset Securitization [Abstract]

Asset Securitizations

The Company periodically securitizes Card Member receivables and loans arising from its card business through the transfer of those assets to securitization trusts. The trusts then issue securities to third-party investors, collateralized by the transferred assets. For information on the Company's asset securitizations and related accounting policies, refer to Note 7 on page 80 of the Annual Report.

Derivatives And Hedging Activities [Abstract]

Derivatives

The Company uses derivative financial instruments (derivatives) to manage exposures to various market risks. Derivatives derive their value from an underlying variable or multiple variables, including interest rate, foreign exchange, and equity index or price. These instruments enable end users to increase, reduce or alter exposure to various market risks and, for that reason, are an integral component of the Company's market risk management. The Company does not engage in derivatives for trading purposes.For information on the Company's derivative instruments and the related accounting policies, refer to Note 12 on pages 87 – 90 of the Annual Report.

Derivative Financial Instruments that Qualify for Hedge Accounting

Refer to Note 12 on pages 89 – 90 of the Annual Report for information on derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges

For information on derivatives not designated as hedges, refer to Note 12 on page 90 of the Annual Report.

Fair Value [Abstract]

Fair Values

For information about the Company's valuation techniques for financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value and the fair value hierarchy, refer to Note 3 on pages 68 – 70 of the Annual Report. Refer to Note 12 on pages 87 – 90 of the Annual Report for additional information about the fair value of the Company's derivative financial instruments.

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and contingencies

The Company has recorded liabilities for certain of its outstanding legal proceedings and governmental examinations. A liability is accrued when it is both (a) probable that a loss has occurred and (b) the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. There may be instances in which an exposure to loss exceeds the accrued liability. The Company evaluates, on a quarterly basis, developments in legal proceedings and governmental examinations that could cause an increase or decrease in the amount of the liability that has been previously accrued or a revision to the disclosed estimated range of possible losses, as applicable.