Finance Assets (Finance Receivables) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Net investment in finance receivables	$ 1,433,789	$ 1,480,090
North America
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Net investment in finance receivables	1,161,959	1,205,476
International
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Net investment in finance receivables	271,830	274,614
Sales-type lease receivables
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross finance receivables	1,303,535	1,315,608
Unguaranteed residual values	82,961	88,295
Unearned income	(281,155)	(279,045)
Allowance for credit losses	(11,846)	(10,515)
Net investment in receivables	1,093,495	1,114,343
Sales-type lease receivables \| North America
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross finance receivables	1,012,917	1,023,549
Unguaranteed residual values	68,719	74,093
Unearned income	(218,628)	(216,720)
Allowance for credit losses	(8,763)	(7,721)
Net investment in receivables	854,245	873,201
Sales-type lease receivables \| International
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross finance receivables	290,618	292,059
Unguaranteed residual values	14,242	14,202
Unearned income	(62,527)	(62,325)
Allowance for credit losses	(3,083)	(2,794)
Net investment in receivables	239,250	241,142
Loan receivables
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross finance receivables	348,228	373,865
Allowance for credit losses	(7,934)	(8,118)
Net investment in receivables	340,294	365,747
Loan receivables \| North America
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross finance receivables	314,664	339,373
Allowance for credit losses	(6,950)	(7,098)
Net investment in receivables	307,714	332,275
Loan receivables \| International
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gross finance receivables	33,564	34,492
Allowance for credit losses	(984)	(1,020)
Net investment in receivables	$ 32,580	$ 33,472
Minimum
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Lease period	3 years
Maximum
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [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_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
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: