Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) [Abstract]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment				$ 25,000,000					$ 30,000,000	$ 35,000,000		$ 29,000,000
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Revenue	1,287,307,000	1,183,216,000	1,213,356,000	1,220,136,000	1,305,155,000	1,262,757,000	1,275,500,000	1,279,184,000			4,904,015,000	5,122,596,000	5,260,356,000
Cost and expenses	1,139,539,000	1,045,515,000	1,055,241,000	1,059,107,000	1,282,156,000	1,101,815,000	1,112,937,000	1,139,147,000			4,299,402,000	4,636,055,000	4,704,167,000
Income from continuing operations	147,768,000	137,701,000	158,115,000	161,029,000	22,999,000	160,942,000	162,563,000	140,037,000			604,613,000	486,541,000	556,189,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	44,224,000	37,823,000	52,765,000	15,493,000	(32,170,000)	2,038,000	54,190,000	43,552,000			150,305,000	67,610,000	213,598,000
Income from continuing operations	103,544,000	99,878,000	105,350,000	145,536,000	55,169,000	158,904,000	108,373,000	96,485,000			454,308,000	418,931,000	342,591,000
Net income before attribution of noncontrolling interests	114,931,000	81,127,000	104,217,000	163,264,000	262,068,000	177,361,000	105,529,000	90,897,000			463,539,000	635,855,000	310,703,000
Less: Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries attributable to noncontrolling interests	4,594,000	4,594,000	4,594,000	4,594,000	4,594,000	4,593,000	4,594,000	4,594,000			18,376,000	18,375,000	18,324,000
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Income from continuing operations	98,950,000	95,284,000	100,756,000	140,942,000	50,575,000	154,311,000	103,779,000	91,891,000			435,932,000	400,556,000	324,267,000
Loss (gain) from discontinued operations	11,387,000	(18,751,000)	(1,133,000)	17,728,000	206,899,000	18,457,000	(2,844,000)	(5,588,000)			9,231,000	216,924,000	(31,888,000)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.	$ 110,337,000	$ 76,533,000	$ 99,623,000	$ 158,670,000	$ 257,474,000	$ 172,768,000	$ 100,935,000	$ 86,303,000			$ 445,163,000	$ 617,480,000	$ 292,379,000
Earnings Per Share, Basic [Abstract]
Continuing operations	$ 0.49	$ 0.48	$ 0.50	$ 0.70	$ 0.25	$ 0.77	$ 0.51	$ 0.45			$ 2.18	$ 1.98	$ 1.57
Discontinued operations	$ 0.06	$ (0.09)	$ (0.01)	$ 0.09	$ 1.04	$ 0.09	$ (0.01)	$ (0.03)			$ 0.05	$ 1.07	$ (0.15)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.	$ 0.55	$ 0.38	$ 0.50	$ 0.79	$ 1.29	$ 0.86	$ 0.50	$ 0.42			$ 2.22	$ 3.06	$ 1.42
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations	$ 0.49	$ 0.47	$ 0.50	$ 0.70	$ 0.25	$ 0.76	$ 0.51	$ 0.45			$ 2.16	$ 1.98	$ 1.57
Discontinued operations	$ 0.06	$ (0.09)	$ (0.01)	$ 0.09	$ 1.03	$ 0.09	$ (0.01)	$ (0.03)			$ 0.05	$ 1.07	$ (0.15)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.	$ 0.55	$ 0.38	$ 0.50	$ 0.79	$ 1.28	$ 0.85	$ 0.49	$ 0.42			$ 2.21	$ 3.05	$ 1.41