Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations		$ 48,901	$ 55,250	$ 114,034	$ 113,296
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax		0	(1,660)	0	(1,660)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (numerator for diluted EPS)		48,901	53,590	114,034	111,636
Less: Preference stock dividend		10	9	19	19
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)		$ 48,891	$ 53,581	$ 114,015	$ 111,617
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)		186,333	187,395	186,136	189,929
Effect of dilutive shares:
Conversion of Preferred stock and Preference stock (in shares)		288	300	290	302
Employee stock plans (in shares)		756	667	519	575
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)		187,377	188,362	186,945	190,806
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 0.26	$ 0.29	$ 0.61	$ 0.60
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.00	(0.01)	0.00	(0.01)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.26	0.29	0.61	0.59
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.26	0.29	0.61	0.59
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.00	(0.01)	0.00	(0.01)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 0.26	$ 0.28	$ 0.61	$ 0.59
Anti-dilutive shares not used in calculating diluted weighted-average shares (in shares)		9,916	6,878	11,379	8,892

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