Guarantees - Carrying Value and Maximum Exposure to Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		$ (362)	$ (331)
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		27,365	27,879
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		15,882	16,500
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		5,893	5,188
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		17,504	17,177
Maximum exposure to loss		66,644	66,744
Card transaction volume		$ 372,500
Description of guarantees given by registrant		The Parent fully and unconditionally guarantees the payment of principal, interest, and any other amounts that may be due on securities that its 100% owned finance subsidiary, Wells Fargo Finance LLC, may issue.
Liabilities	[1]	$ 1,771,195	1,769,243
Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		33,745	32,946
Written options [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		(554)	(538)
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		11,965	12,735
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		7,794	7,972
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		755	889
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		58	58
Maximum exposure to loss		20,572	21,654
Written options [Member] | Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		13,757	13,394
Standby letters of credit [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		145	156
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		12,184	11,977
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		4,672	4,962
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		1,692	1,897
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		439	433
Maximum exposure to loss		18,987	19,269
Standby letters of credit [Member] | Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		7,097	7,528
Direct pay letters of credit [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		14	18
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		2,394	2,256
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		2,565	2,746
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		524	531
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		54	39
Maximum exposure to loss		5,537	5,572
Direct pay letters of credit [Member] | Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		1,093	1,102
Loans and LHFS sold with recourse [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		33	33
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		199	177
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		848	819
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		2,922	1,870
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		9,484	9,723
Maximum exposure to loss		13,453	12,589
Loans and LHFS sold with recourse [Member] | Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		11,221	10,332
Exchange and clearing house guarantees [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		0	0
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		0	0
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		0	0
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		0	0
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		7,163	5,510
Maximum exposure to loss		7,163	5,510
Exchange and clearing house guarantees [Member] | Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		0	0
Other guarantees and indemnifications [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Carrying value of obligation (asset)		0	0
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires in one year or less		623	734
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after one year through three years		3	1
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after three years through five years		0	1
Maximum exposure to loss, Expires after five years		306	1,414
Maximum exposure to loss		932	2,150
Other guarantees and indemnifications [Member] | Non-investment grade [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		577	590
Third party clearing indemnifications [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum exposure to loss		277	1,400
Collateral provided to third-party clearing agents		2,000	1,200
Other commitments and guarantees [Member] | Wells Fargo Finance, LLC [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Liabilities		$ 1,800	$ 2,300

[1] Our consolidated liabilities at March 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, include the following VIE liabilities for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to Wells Fargo: Long-term debt, $192 million and $203 million; All other liabilities, $890 million and $900 million; and Total liabilities, $1.1 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively.