Current Liabilities	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Notes To Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]
Current Liabilities [Text Block]	7. Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities are composed of the following: Reserve account deposits represent customers' prepayment of postage held by our subsidiary, The Pitney Bowes Bank. See Note 17 for further details.

The entire disclosure for accounts payable and accrued liabilities at the end of the reporting period.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Subparagraph a

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20, 24

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(a),20,24)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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