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Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]          
Tax benefits from an affiliate reorganization       $ 13,000,000pbi_TaxBenefitFromAnAffiliateReorganization  
Tax benefits from tax planning initiatives       17,000,000pbi_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxPlanningInitiatives  
Tax benefits from the adjustment of non-U.S. tax accounts from prior periods       5,000,000pbi_TaxBenefitfromTaxAccountAdjustments  
Tax benefits from the retroactive effect of 2014 U.S. tax legislation     5,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInEnactedTaxRate    
Tax benefits from sale of non-U.S. leverage lease assets         32,000,000pbi_TaxBenefitFromSaleOfNonUSLeverageLease
Tax benefits from IRS tax settlements and resolution of U.S. tax examinations     22,000,000us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions   47,000,000us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions
Tax accruals from repatriation of additional non-U.S. earnings         43,000,000pbi_TaxAccrualForRepatriationOfForeignEarnings
Net operating loss carryforwards 240,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards   240,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards    
Indefinite lived net operating loss carryforwards 210,000,000pbi_OperatingLossCarryforwardsNotSubjecttoExpiration   210,000,000pbi_OperatingLossCarryforwardsNotSubjecttoExpiration    
Tax credit carry forwards 47,493,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwards   47,493,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwards 48,617,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwards  
Income taxes on cumulative undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 830,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries   830,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Withholding taxes on undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 12,000,000pbi_WithholdingTaxesOnUndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries   12,000,000pbi_WithholdingTaxesOnUndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the effective tax rate if recognized 110,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate   110,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 148,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 127,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Possible change to unrecognized tax benefits 0.25us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit   0.25us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit    
Recorded income tax interest and penalties     2,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 27,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense (28,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Income tax interest and penalties accrued 11,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued   11,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued 37,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued  
Payments for other taxes   54,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsForOtherTaxes 0us-gaap_PaymentsForOtherTaxes 75,545,000us-gaap_PaymentsForOtherTaxes 114,128,000us-gaap_PaymentsForOtherTaxes
Indemnification agreement, cash to be received 60,000,000pbi_IndemnificationAgreementCashtobeReceived        
Restatement Adjustment          
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]          
Increase in retained earnings     $ 17,000,000us-gaap_EffectOnRetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficitDueToChangeInMeasurementDateTax
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