Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Revenue:
Equipment sales		$ 695,159		$ 770,371		$ 867,593
Supplies		288,103		300,040		285,730
Software		386,506		429,743		398,664
Rentals		441,663		484,629		512,493
Financing		410,035		432,859		448,906
Support services		554,764		625,135		646,657
Business services		801,830		778,727		631,292
Total revenue		3,578,060		3,821,504		3,791,335
Costs and expenses:
Cost of equipment sales		331,069		365,724		422,580
Cost of supplies		88,802		93,675		89,365
Cost of software		113,580		123,760		110,653
Cost of rentals		84,188		97,338		100,335
Financing interest expense		71,791		78,562		77,719
Cost of support services		322,960		377,003		400,038
Cost of business services		546,201		544,729		449,932
Selling, general and administrative		1,279,961		1,378,400		1,420,096
Research and development		110,156		109,931		110,412
Restructuring charges and asset impairments, net		25,782		84,560		84,344
Interest expense, net		87,583		90,888		109,268
Other (income) expense, net		(94,838)		45,738		32,639
Total costs and expenses		2,967,235		3,390,308		3,407,381
Income from continuing operations before income taxes		610,825		431,196		383,954
Provision for income taxes		189,778		112,815		77,967
Income from continuing operations		421,047		318,381		305,987
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax		5,271		33,749		(144,777)
Net income		426,318		352,130		161,210
Less: Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries attributable to noncontrolling interests		18,375		18,375		18,375
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.		407,943		333,755		142,835
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations		402,672		300,006		287,612
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax		5,271		33,749		(144,777)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.		$ 407,943		$ 333,755		$ 142,835
Basic earnings per share attributable to common stockholders:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 2.01	[2]	$ 1.49	[2]	$ 1.43
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.03	[2]	0.17	[2]	(0.72)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	2.04	[2]	1.65	[2]	0.71
Diluted earnings per share attributable to common stockholders:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	2.00	[2]	1.47	[2]	1.42
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.03	[2]	0.17	[2]	(0.71)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	2.03	[2]	1.64	[2]	0.70
Dividends declared per share of common stock (in dollars per share)		$ 0.75		$ 0.75		$ 0.9375

[1] The sum of the earnings per share amounts may not equal the totals due to rounding.

[2] The sum of the earnings per share amounts may not equal the totals due to rounding.