Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Pitney Bowes Inc. (we, us, our, or the company), was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 1920. We are a global technology company offering innovative products and solutions that help our clients navigate the complex world of commerce. We provide innovative products and solutions for mailing, shipping and cross border ecommerce that enable the sending of packages globally and products and solutions for customer information management, location intelligence and customer engagement to help our clients market to their customers. Clients around the world rely on our products, solutions and services. For more information about us, our products, services and solutions, visit www.pb.com. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and the instructions to Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In addition, the December 31, 2017 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In management's opinion, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary to fairly state our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented have been included. Operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2018. These statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report to Stockholders on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (2017 Annual Report). Accounting Pronouncements Adopted on January 1, 2018 We adopted Accounting Standard Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606), which requires companies to recognize revenue when or as control of a promised good or service is transferred to a client in amounts that reflect consideration the company expects to receive in exchange for those goods and services. See Note 2 for more information on the adoption of ASC 606. We adopted ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes: Intra-entity Transfers of Assets other than Inventory, which requires tax expense to be recognized from the sale of intra-entity assets, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs, even though the effects of the transaction are eliminated in consolidation. Under prior guidance, the tax effects of transfers were deferred until the transferred asset was sold or otherwise recovered through use. We recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying this standard as a net reduction of $3 million to opening retained earnings. We adopted ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Benefit Cost. The ASU requires only the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost be presented in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs. Other components of the net periodic benefit cost are now presented separately in Other components of net pension and postretirement costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Prior period information has been recast to conform to the current period presentation. We adopted ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This standard primarily affects the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements. We early adopted ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The ASU changes the recognition and presentation requirements as well as the cost and complexity of applying hedge accounting by easing the requirements for effectiveness testing and hedge documentation. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements. We adopted ASU 2017-09, Scope of Modification Accounting. The ASU provides guidance about which changes to terms and conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements. We adopted ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities in evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as an acquisition or disposal of assets or a business. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements. New Accounting Pronouncements - Not Yet Adopted In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI). The ASU permits a reclassification of the disproportionate income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) on items within AOCI to retained earnings. The ASU also requires certain new disclosures, some of which are applicable for all companies. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019; however, early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The ASU shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium, requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The standard will be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative effect adjustment as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019; however, early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-06, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960); Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962); Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965): Employee Benefit Plan Master Trust Reporting. The ASU requires separate disclosure in the statement of net assets available for benefits and the statement of changes in net assets available for benefits of changes in any interests held in a Master Trust and other enhanced disclosures. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019. We are currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. The ASU sets forth a “current expected credit loss” (CECL) model, which requires companies to measure expected credit losses for all financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonably supportable forecasts. This replaces the existing incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost and applies to some off-balance sheet credit exposures. This standard is effective beginning January 1, 2020. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. This standard, among other things, requires lessees to recognize almost all leases on their balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability and provide enhanced disclosures. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Pitney Bowes Inc. (we, us, our, or the company), was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 1920. We are a global technology company offering innovative products and solutions that help our clients navigate the complex world of commerce. We provide innovative products and solutions for mailing, shipping and cross border ecommerce that enable the sending of packages globally and products and solutions for customer information management, location intelligence and customer engagement to help our clients market to their customers. Clients around the world rely on our products, solutions and services. For more information about us, our products, services and solutions, visit www.pb.com.

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and the instructions to Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In addition, the December 31, 2017 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In management's opinion, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary to fairly state our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented have been included. Operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2018. These statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report to Stockholders on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (2017 Annual Report).

Accounting Pronouncements Adopted on January 1, 2018

We adopted Accounting Standard Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606), which requires companies to recognize revenue when or as control of a promised good or service is transferred to a client in amounts that reflect consideration the company expects to receive in exchange for those goods and services. See Note 2 for more information on the adoption of ASC 606.

We adopted ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes: Intra-entity Transfers of Assets other than Inventory, which requires tax expense to be recognized from the sale of intra-entity assets, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs, even though the effects of the transaction are eliminated in consolidation. Under prior guidance, the tax effects of transfers were deferred until the transferred asset was sold or otherwise recovered through use. We recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying this standard as a net reduction of $3 million to opening retained earnings.

We adopted ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Benefit Cost. The ASU requires only the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost be presented in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs. Other components of the net periodic benefit cost are now presented separately in Other components of net pension and postretirement costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Prior period information has been recast to conform to the current period presentation.

We adopted ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This standard primarily affects the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

We early adopted ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The ASU changes the recognition and presentation requirements as well as the cost and complexity of applying hedge accounting by easing the requirements for effectiveness testing and hedge documentation. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

We adopted ASU 2017-09, Scope of Modification Accounting. The ASU provides guidance about which changes to terms and conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

We adopted ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities in evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as an acquisition or disposal of assets or a business. There was no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements - Not Yet Adopted

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI). The ASU permits a reclassification of the disproportionate income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) on items within AOCI to retained earnings. The ASU also requires certain new disclosures, some of which are applicable for all companies. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019; however, early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The ASU shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium, requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The standard will be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative effect adjustment as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019; however, early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-06, Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960); Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962); Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965): Employee Benefit Plan Master Trust Reporting. The ASU requires separate disclosure in the statement of net assets available for benefits and the statement of changes in net assets available for benefits of changes in any interests held in a Master Trust and other enhanced disclosures. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019. We are currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. The ASU sets forth a “current expected credit loss” (CECL) model, which requires companies to measure expected credit losses for all financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonably supportable forecasts. This replaces the existing incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost and applies to some off-balance sheet credit exposures. This standard is effective beginning January 1, 2020. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. This standard, among other things, requires lessees to recognize almost all leases on their balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability and provide enhanced disclosures. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019. We are currently assessing the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.