Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		$ 2,629,541
Total revenue		3,522,380	$ 3,123,272	$ 2,981,323
Costs and expenses:
Financing interest expense		48,857	50,665	55,241
Selling, general and administrative		1,123,116	1,170,905	1,140,100
Research and development		125,588	118,703	107,378
Restructuring charges and asset impairments, net		27,077	56,223	60,295
Goodwill impairment		0	0	148,181
Interest expense, net		110,900	113,497	88,970
Other components of net pension and postretirement cost		22,425	5,413	5,276
Other expense		7,964	3,856	0
Total costs and expenses		3,310,019	2,901,357	2,779,534
Income from continuing operations before income taxes		212,361	221,915	201,789
Provision for income taxes		12,383	553	106,975
Income from continuing operations		199,978	221,362	94,814
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax		23,687	39,978	17,036
Net income		223,665	261,340	111,850
Less: Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	19,045
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.		223,665	261,340	92,805
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Income from continuing operations		199,978	221,362	75,769
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax		23,687	39,978	17,036
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc.		$ 223,665	$ 261,340	$ 92,805
Basic earnings per share attributable to common stockholders:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 1.07	$ 1.19	$ 0.40
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.13	0.21	0.09
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	1.19	1.40	0.49
Diluted earnings per share attributable to common stockholders:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	1.06	1.18	0.40
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.13	0.21	0.09
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 1.19	$ 1.39	$ 0.49
Equipment sales
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		$ 112,056
Total revenue		430,451	$ 476,691	$ 480,031
Cost of products and sales		181,766	201,116	203,220
Supplies
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		218,304	231,412	241,950
Cost of products and sales		60,960	66,302	65,509
Software
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		340,855	331,843	325,577
Cost of products and sales		100,681	95,033	96,151
Rentals
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		27,604
Total revenue		363,057	384,123	410,241
Cost of products and sales		86,330	82,703	74,457
Financing
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		75,787
Total revenue		314,778	330,985	366,424
Support services
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		293,413	299,792	329,424
Cost of products and sales		168,271	163,889	166,247
Business services
Revenue:
Total from contracts with customers		1,561,522	1,068,426	827,676
Cost of products and sales		$ 1,246,084	$ 773,052	$ 568,509

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