Finance Assets (Finance Receivables) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Net investment in finance receivables	$ 1,480,090	$ 1,567,157
North America
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Net investment in finance receivables	1,205,476	1,311,718
International
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Net investment in finance receivables	274,614	255,439
Sales-type lease receivables
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Receivables	1,315,608	1,361,315
Unguaranteed residual values	88,295	103,845
Unearned income	(279,045)	(284,366)
Allowance for credit losses	(10,515)	(10,894)
Net investment in receivables	1,114,343	1,169,900
Sales-type lease receivables \| North America
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Receivables	1,023,549	1,088,053
Unguaranteed residual values	74,093	90,190
Unearned income	(216,720)	(223,908)
Allowance for credit losses	(7,721)	(8,247)
Net investment in receivables	873,201	946,088
Sales-type lease receivables \| International
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Receivables	292,059	273,262
Unguaranteed residual values	14,202	13,655
Unearned income	(62,325)	(60,458)
Allowance for credit losses	(2,794)	(2,647)
Net investment in receivables	241,142	223,812
Loan receivables
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Receivables	373,865	406,863
Allowance for credit losses	(8,118)	(9,606)
Net investment in receivables	365,747	397,257
Loan receivables \| North America
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Receivables	339,373	374,147
Allowance for credit losses	(7,098)	(8,517)
Net investment in receivables	332,275	365,630
Loan receivables \| International
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Receivables	34,492	32,716
Allowance for credit losses	(1,020)	(1,089)
Net investment in receivables	$ 33,472	$ 31,627
Minimum
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Lease period	3 years
Maximum
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Lease period	5 years

Capital Leases, Net Investment in Sales Type Leases Period

No definition available.

Name:	pbi_CapitalLeasesNetInvestmentinSalesTypeLeasesPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	pbi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Loans and Leases Receivable, Unearned Income

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pbi_LoansandLeasesReceivableUnearnedIncome
Namespace Prefix:	pbi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loans and Leases Receivable, Unguaranteed Residual Values

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pbi_LoansandLeasesReceivableUnguaranteedResidualValues
Namespace Prefix:	pbi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentPastDueLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of allowance to cover probable credit losses on loans and leases. Includes carryover of or adjustments to the allowance for loan losses in connection with business combinations. Excludes allowance for loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.L.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27010918&loc=d3e74567-122707

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894903&loc=d3e15032-111544

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before allowance of loans and leases held in portfolio, including but not limited to, commercial and consumer loans. Includes deferred interest and fees, undisbursed portion of loan balance, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableGrossCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount after allowance and deduction of deferred interest and fees, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts, of loans and leases held in portfolio, including but not limited to, commercial and consumer loans. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements and loans held for sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82891408&loc=d3e4428-111522

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableNetReportedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount after allowance and deduction of deferred interest and fees, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts, of loans and leases held in portfolio, including but not limited to, commercial and consumer loans. Includes loans held for sale. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansReceivableNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GeographicDistributionAxis=us-gaap_GeographicDistributionDomesticMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GeographicDistributionAxis=us-gaap_GeographicDistributionForeignMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_FinanceLeasesPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_ConsumerPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: