| **Financing Activities (Details 5) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified**                    | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|
||
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 36             | 18             | 50 | 53 |
| Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                                | $ 4            | $ 2            | $ 42 | $ 43 |
| Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                               | 5              | 2              | 44 | 43 |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 5              | 16             | 15 | 41 |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | 1              | 3              | 6 | 23 |
| Customer | North America                                                                               |           |           |   |   |
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 22             | 18             | 32 | 41 |
| Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                                | 2              | 2              | 4 | 4 |
| Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                               | 3              | 2              | 5 | 4 |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 5              | 14             | 13 | 25 |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | 1              | 1              | 3 | 2 |
| Customer | Europe                                                                                      |           |           |   |   |
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 8              | 0              | 8 | 7 |
| Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                                | 1              | 0              | 1 | 7 |
| Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                               | 1              | 0              | 1 | 7 |
| Customer | Latin America                                                                               |           |           |   |   |
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 6              | 0              | 6 | 0 |
| Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                                | 1              | 0              | 1 | 0 |
| Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                               | 1              | 0              | 1 | 0 |
| Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance                                                                   |           |           |   |   |
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    |           |           | 4 | 5 |
| Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                                |           |           | 36 | 32 |
| Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment                                                               |           |           | 37 | 32 |
| **TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date** |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 0              | 2              | 2 | 16 |
| Post-TDR Recorded Investment                                                                           | 0              | 2              | 3 | 21 |
| Additional investments not recorded                                                                    | 7              |           | 12 |   |
| Remaining commitments                                                                                  | $ 19           |           | $ 19 |   |
| Dealer                                                                                                 |           |           |   |   |
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 0              | 0              | 0 | 0 |
| Caterpillar Purchased Receivables                                                                      |           |           |   |   |
| **Loans and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs**                                               |           |           |   |   |
| Number of Contracts                                                                                    | 0              | 0              | 0 | 0 |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of the additional funds subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a troubled debt restructuring.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_AdditionalInvestmentsNotRecorded**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Represents the number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_FinancingReceivableModificationNumberOfContracts**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings after the financing receivable has been modified.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_FinancingReceivableModificationPostModificationRecordedInvestment**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings before the financing receivable has been modified.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_FinancingReceivableModificationPreModificationRecordedInvestment**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous twelve months but subsequently defaulted during the current period.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_FinancingReceivableModificationRecordedInvestment**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings within the previous twelve months but subsequently defaulted during the current period.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_FinancingReceivableModificationsDefaultedInCurrentPeriodNumberOfContracts**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**cfsc_LoanAndFinanceLeaseReceivablesModifiedAsTdrsAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of remaining commitments to loan funds to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a troubled debt restructuring.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**cfsc_RemainingCommitments**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**cfsc_TdrsWhichHadBeenModifiedWithinTwelveMonthsOfDefaultDateAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**cfsc_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |