Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations	$ (83,593)	$ 65,803	$ 55,250	$ 58,046	$ 80,426	$ 89,282	$ 152,509	$ 80,455	$ 95,506		$ 402,672		$ 300,006
(Loss) income from discontinued operations	$ (750)	$ (291)	$ (1,660)	$ 0	$ 5,853	$ 0	$ (739)	$ 157	(2,701)		5,271		33,749
Net income (numerator for diluted EPS)									92,805		407,943		333,755
Less: Preference stock dividend									38		41		44
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)									$ 92,767		$ 407,902		$ 333,711
Denominator (in thousands):
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)									187,945		199,835		201,992
Preferred stock (in shares)									0		1		1
Preference stock (in shares)									300		321		344
Stock plans (in shares)									730		788		1,624
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)									188,975		200,945		203,961
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.45)	$ 0.35	$ 0.29	$ 0.30	$ 0.40	$ 0.45	$ 0.76	$ 0.40	$ 0.51	[1]	$ 2.01	[1]	$ 1.49	[1]
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.00	(0.01)	0.00	0.03	0.00	0.00	0.00	(0.01)	[1]	0.03	[1]	0.17	[1]
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	(0.45)	0.35	0.28	0.30	0.43	0.45	0.75	0.40	0.49	[1]	2.04	[1]	1.65	[1]
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	(0.45)	0.35	0.29	0.30	0.41	0.44	0.75	0.40	0.51	[1]	2.00	[1]	1.47	[1]
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.00	(0.01)	0.00	0.03	0.00	0.00	0.00	(0.01)	[1]	0.03	[1]	0.17	[1]
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	$ (0.45)	$ 0.35	$ 0.28	$ 0.30	$ 0.44	$ 0.44	$ 0.75	$ 0.40	$ 0.49	[1]	$ 2.03	[1]	$ 1.64	[1]
Anti-dilutive options excluded from diluted earnings per share (in shares)									8,126		8,079		7,322

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