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Retirement Plans and Postretirement Medical Benefits (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Eligibility age for retiree medical benefits 55 years    
Percent of all foreign plan assets 74.00%pbi_PercentofAllForeignPlanAssets    
Fair value of plan assets $ 427,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanPensionPlansWithAccumulatedBenefitObligationsInExcessOfPlanAssetsAggregateFairValueOfPlanAssets $ 414,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanPensionPlansWithAccumulatedBenefitObligationsInExcessOfPlanAssetsAggregateFairValueOfPlanAssets  
Expected return on plan assets 7.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets 7.38%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets  
Assumed health care cost trend rate 6.50%pbi_DefinedBenefitPlanHistoricalHealthCareTrendRate 7.00%pbi_DefinedBenefitPlanHistoricalHealthCareTrendRate  
Next year's assumed health care cost trend rate 6.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanHealthCareCostTrendRateAssumedForNextFiscalYear    
Assumed health care cost trend rate decline 5.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanUltimateHealthCareCostTrendRate    
Total contributions to defined contribution plans 25,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized 32,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized  
United States      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Nominal rate of return 7.00%pbi_NominalRateOfReturnOnPensionPlan
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
   
Fair value of plan assets 1,592,774,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanPensionPlansWithAccumulatedBenefitObligationsInExcessOfPlanAssetsAggregateFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
1,522,057,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanPensionPlansWithAccumulatedBenefitObligationsInExcessOfPlanAssetsAggregateFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
 
Expected return on plan assets 7.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
7.25%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
7.75%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Next year's anticipated total contributions to pension plans 7,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
   
Benefit obligation 1,868,176,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
1,622,591,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
1,822,677,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Foreign      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Nominal rate of return 7.00%pbi_NominalRateOfReturnOnPensionPlan
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Fair value of plan assets 437,209,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanPensionPlansWithAccumulatedBenefitObligationsInExcessOfPlanAssetsAggregateFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
421,229,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanPensionPlansWithAccumulatedBenefitObligationsInExcessOfPlanAssetsAggregateFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
 
Next year's anticipated total contributions to pension plans 16,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Benefit obligation 715,287,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
672,773,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
663,826,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
U.S. nonpension postretirement plans      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Benefit obligation 231,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPostretirementBenefitPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
208,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPostretirementBenefitPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
 
Nonpension postretirement benefit plans      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Benefit obligation 253,980,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
[1] 231,153,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
[1] 282,857,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
RP-2014 and MP-2014 | United States      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Increase in pension obligation due to change in the mortality assumption $ 110,000,000us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementOrChangeInAccountingPrincipleEffectOfAdoptionQuantification
/ us-gaap_AdjustmentsForChangeInAccountingPrincipleAxis
= pbi_RP2014andMP2014Member
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
   
[1] Fair value of plan assets Fair value of plan assets - beginning of year$— $—Company contribution23,083 28,308Plan participants' contributions5,418 4,313Benefits paid(28,501) (32,621)Fair value of plan assets - end of year$— $—