Noncontrolling Interests (Preferred Stockholders' Equity in Subsidiaries) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Preferred stock, dividend rate	4.00%		4.00%
Redeemable Preferred Stock Member
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Shares outstanding	300,000	300,000
Value of shares outstanding	$ 300,000,000	$ 300,000,000
Preferred stock voting power percentage	25.00%	25.00%
Common stock voting power percentage	75.00%	75.00%
Preferred stock, dividend rate		6.125%
Dividend increase percentage each interval once shares become callable		50.00%
Dividends in arrears		$ 0	$ 0

Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Increase if Outstanding Once Callable

No definition available.

Name:	pbi_PreferredStockDividendRateIncreaseIfOutstandingOnceCallable
Namespace Prefix:	pbi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of noncontrolling interest in subsidiary represented by preferred securities issued by the subsidiary.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.31)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 27
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestAmountRepresentedByPreferredStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The equity interest of noncontrolling shareholders, partners or other equity holders in consolidated entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate amount of cumulative preferred dividends in arrears.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21488-112644

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockAmountOfPreferredDividendsInArrears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage rate used to calculate dividend payments on preferred stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockDividendRatePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares issued which are neither cancelled nor held in the treasury.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_RedeemablePreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: