Employee Benefits, Future Benefits Expected to be Paid Under the Pension and Other Benefit Plans (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Pension benefits qualified [Member]
Future Benefit Payments:
2016	$ 762
2017	753
2018	737
2019	740
2020	745
2021-2025	3,578
Pension benefits nonqualified [Member]
Future Benefit Payments:
2016	61
2017	60
2018	56
2019	53
2020	52
2021-2025	224
Other benefits [Member]
Future Benefit Payments:
2016	86
2017	87
2018	87
2019	87
2020	87
2021-2025	410
Subsidy Receipts:
2016	11
2017	12
2018	12
2019	12
2020	12
2021-2025	$ 61

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the five fiscal years after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of the prescription drug subsidy receipts to be received after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 60
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414203&loc=d3e39716-114964

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of the prescription drug subsidy receipts to be received in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 60
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414203&loc=d3e39716-114964

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of the prescription drug subsidy receipts to be received in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PrescriptionDrugSubsidyReceiptsYearFive1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the prescription drug subsidy receipts to be received in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PrescriptionDrugSubsidyReceiptsYearFour1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the prescription drug subsidy receipts to be received in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PrescriptionDrugSubsidyReceiptsYearThree1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the prescription drug subsidy receipts to be received in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PrescriptionDrugSubsidyReceiptsYearTwo1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=wfc_PensionBenefitsQualifiedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=wfc_PensionBenefitsNonqualifiedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: