Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 947,140	$ 832,856	$ 861,436	$ 880,948	$ 916,406	$ 733,273	$ 730,413	$ 743,180	$ 3,522,380		$ 3,123,272		$ 2,981,323
Cost of revenues	526,519	446,753	455,816	463,861	474,317	328,172	319,904	310,367	1,892,949		1,432,760
Operating expenses	368,142	340,974	352,156	355,798	403,196	348,836	368,258	348,307	1,417,070		1,468,597
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	52,479	45,129	53,464	61,289	38,893	56,265	42,251	84,506	212,361		221,915		201,789
Provision for income taxes	(8,362)	(1,976)	6,458	16,263	(38,147)	10,828	790	27,082	12,383		553		106,975
Income from continuing operations	60,841	47,105	47,006	45,026	77,040	45,437	41,461	57,424	199,978		221,362		94,814
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(15,856)	29,848	1,208	8,487	12,908	11,921	7,440	7,709	23,687		39,978		17,036
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.	$ 44,985	$ 76,953	$ 48,214	$ 53,513	$ 89,948	$ 57,358	$ 48,901	$ 65,133	$ 223,665		$ 261,340		$ 92,805
Basic earnings per share attributable to common stockholders:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.24	$ 0.41	$ 0.24	$ 0.22	$ 0.31	$ 1.07	[1]	$ 1.19	[1]	$ 0.40	[1]
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.08)	0.16	0.01	0.05	0.07	0.06	0.04	0.04	0.13	[1]	0.21	[1]	0.09	[1]
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	0.24	0.41	0.26	0.29	0.48	0.31	0.26	0.35	1.19	[1]	1.40	[1]	0.49	[1]
Diluted earnings per share attributable to common stockholders:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.32	0.25	0.25	0.24	0.41	0.24	0.22	0.31	1.06	[1]	1.18	[1]	0.40	[1]
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.08)	0.16	0.01	0.05	0.07	0.06	0.04	0.04	0.13	[1]	0.21	[1]	0.09	[1]
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	$ 0.24	$ 0.41	$ 0.26	$ 0.28	$ 0.48	$ 0.31	$ 0.26	$ 0.35	$ 1.19	[1]	$ 1.39	[1]	$ 0.49	[1]

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