Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015
Numerator:
Net income from continuing operations					$ (83,593)	$ 65,803	$ 55,250	$ 58,046	$ 261,340		$ 95,506		$ 402,672
(Loss) income from discontinued operations					$ (750)	$ (291)	$ (1,660)	$ 0	0		(2,701)		5,271
Net income (numerator for diluted EPS)									261,340		92,805		407,943
Less: Preference stock dividend									36		38		41
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)									$ 261,304		$ 92,767		$ 407,902
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)									186,332		187,945		199,835
Effect of dilutive shares (in shares)									1,103		1,030		1,110
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)									187,435		188,975		200,945
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)					$ (0.45)	$ 0.35	$ 0.29	$ 0.30	$ 1.40	[1]	$ 0.51	[1]	$ 2.01	[1]
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)					0.00	0.00	(0.01)	0.00	0.00	[1]	(0.01)	[1]	0.03	[1]
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	$ 0.48	$ 0.31	$ 0.26	$ 0.35	(0.45)	0.35	0.28	0.30	1.40	[1]	0.49	[1]	2.04	[1]
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)					(0.45)	0.35	0.29	0.30	1.39	[1]	0.51	[1]	2.00	[1]
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)					0.00	0.00	(0.01)	0.00	0.00	[1]	(0.01)	[1]	0.03	[1]
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	$ 0.48	$ 0.31	$ 0.26	$ 0.35	$ (0.45)	$ 0.35	$ 0.28	$ 0.30	$ 1.39	[1]	$ 0.49	[1]	$ 2.03	[1]
Anti-dilutive options excluded from diluted earnings per share (in shares)									10,267		8,126		8,079

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