Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations		$ 65,803	$ 89,282	$ 179,099	$ 322,246
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax		(291)	0	(1,951)	(582)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (numerator for diluted EPS)		65,512	89,282	177,148	321,664
Less: Preference stock dividend		10	10	29	31
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)		$ 65,502	$ 89,272	$ 177,119	$ 321,633
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)		185,603	199,874	188,634	200,825
Effect of dilutive shares:
Conversion of Preferred stock and Preference stock (in shares)		299	318	301	326
Employee stock plans (in shares)		781	825	657	734
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)		186,683	201,017	189,592	201,885
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)		$ 0.35	$ 0.45	$ 0.95	$ 1.60
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)		0.00	0.00	(0.01)	0.00
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)		0.35	0.45	0.94	1.60
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.35	0.44	0.94	1.60
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.00	0.00	(0.01)	0.00
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 0.35	$ 0.44	$ 0.93	$ 1.59
Anti-dilutive shares not used in calculating diluted weighted-average shares (in shares)		8,036	7,934	8,148	8,609

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