Earnings per Share (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Earnings Per Share (Tables) [Abstract]

Schedule of Calculation of Numerator and Denominator in Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2013			2012
Numerator:
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations	$	69,568		$	140,942
(Loss) income from discontinued operations	(2,062		)	17,728
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (numerator for diluted EPS)	67,506			158,670
Less: Preference stock dividend	(13		)	(13		)
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)	$	67,493		$	158,657
Denominator (in thousands):
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS	201,148			199,960
Effect of dilutive shares:
Preferred stock	2			2
Preference stock	396			398
Stock plans	664			312
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS	202,210			200,672
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations	$	0.35		$	0.70
Discontinued operations	(0.01		)	0.09
Net income	$	0.34		$	0.79
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations	$	0.34		$	0.70
Discontinued operations	(0.01		)	0.09
Net income	$	0.33		$	0.79
Anti-dilutive shares not used in calculating diluted weighted-average shares (in thousands):	13,868			13,811