Finance Assets (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2012
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	$ 2,187,754,000	$ 2,415,728,000
Unguaranteed residual values	205,893,000	255,725,000
Unearned Income	450,904,000	523,483,000
Allowance for credit losses	40,700,000	41,110,000
Net investment in sales-type lease receivables	1,902,043,000	2,106,860,000
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	477,568,000	487,555,000
Allowance for credit losses	22,730,000	28,320,000
Net investment in loan receivables	454,838,000	459,235,000
Net investment in finance receivables	2,356,881,000	2,566,095,000
Maturities of gross sales-type lease and loan receivables [Abstract]
Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Receivable	2,187,754,000
Maturities of loan receivables [Abstract]
2012	477,568,000
Activity In Allowance For Credit Losses For Sales Type Lease And Loan Receivables [Abstract]
Opening Balance			71,790,000
Amounts charged to expense	28,054,000	42,000,000	61,755,000
Accounts written off	34,054,000	44,728,000	61,387,000
Other	0	0	0
The aging of sales-type lease and loan receivable [Abstract]
Less than 31 days past due	2,529,792,000	2,741,545,000
Greater than 30 days and Less than 61 days	64,635,000	68,482,000
Greater than 60 days and Less than 91 days	34,762,000	39,159,000
Greater than 90 days and Less than 121 days	10,633,000	15,543,000
Greater than 120 days	25,500,000	38,554,000
TOTAL	2,665,322,000	2,903,283,000
Past due amounts > 90 days [Abstract]
Not accruing interest	28,014,000	41,458,000
Still accruing interest	8,119,000	12,639,000
TOTAL	36,133,000	54,097,000
Pitney Bowes Bank [Line Items]
Consolidated assets	8,147,104,000	8,444,023,000
Total Liabilities	7,889,720,000	8,244,234,000
Leveraged Leases [Abstract]
Rental receivables	810,306,000	1,802,107,000
Unguaranteed residual values	13,784,000	14,141,000
Principal and interest on non-recourse loans	606,708,000	1,373,651,000
Unearned income	79,111,000	191,591,000
Investment in leveraged leases	138,271,000	251,006,000
Less: Deferred taxes related to leveraged leases	101,255,000	192,128,000
Net investment in leveraged leases	37,016,000	58,878,000
Summary of the components of income from leveraged leases [Abstract]
Pre-tax leveraged lease income	6,090,000	8,334,000	918,000
Income tax effect	381,000	863,000	(6,676,000)
Income from leveraged leases	5,709,000	7,471,000	7,594,000
Effect of change in statutory tax rate on income from leveraged leases	0	2,000,000	3,000,000
Leveraged Lease Investment Sold	109,000,000			109,000,000
Pitney Bowes Bank [Member]
Pitney Bowes Bank [Line Items]
Consolidated assets	738,000,000
Total Liabilities	680,000,000
United States [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	1,727,653,000	1,940,833,000
Unguaranteed residual values	185,450,000	235,392,000
Unearned Income	348,286,000	415,891,000
Allowance for credit losses	28,661,000	27,792,000
Net investment in sales-type lease receivables	1,536,156,000	1,732,542,000
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	436,631,000	453,362,000
Allowance for credit losses	20,272,000	26,208,000
Net investment in loan receivables	416,359,000	427,154,000
Net investment in finance receivables	1,952,515,000	2,159,696,000
Maturities of loan receivables [Abstract]
2012	436,631,000
International [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	460,101,000	474,895,000
Unguaranteed residual values	20,443,000	20,333,000
Unearned Income	102,618,000	107,592,000
Allowance for credit losses	12,039,000	13,318,000
Net investment in sales-type lease receivables	365,887,000	374,318,000
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	40,937,000	34,193,000
Allowance for credit losses	2,458,000	2,112,000
Net investment in loan receivables	38,479,000	32,081,000
Net investment in finance receivables	404,366,000	406,399,000
Maturities of loan receivables [Abstract]
2012	40,937,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member]
Maturities of gross sales-type lease and loan receivables [Abstract]
2012	856,751,000
2013	597,917,000
2014	392,797,000
2015	225,360,000
2016	105,153,000
Thereafter	9,776,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | United States [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	1,727,653,000
Maturities of gross sales-type lease and loan receivables [Abstract]
2012	737,813,000
2013	492,477,000
2014	299,965,000
2015	151,598,000
2016	44,487,000
Thereafter	1,313,000
Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Receivable	1,727,653,000
Activity In Allowance For Credit Losses For Sales Type Lease And Loan Receivables [Abstract]
Opening Balance			31,182,000
Amounts charged to expense	13,726,000	13,211,000	19,067,000
Accounts written off	12,857,000	16,424,000	19,244,000
Other	0	0	0
The aging of sales-type lease and loan receivable [Abstract]
Less than 31 days past due	1,641,706,000	1,831,655,000
Greater than 30 days and Less than 61 days	41,018,000	45,234,000
Greater than 60 days and Less than 91 days	24,309,000	29,380,000
Greater than 90 days and Less than 121 days	4,912,000	8,654,000
Greater than 120 days	15,708,000	25,910,000
TOTAL	1,727,653,000	1,940,833,000
Past due amounts > 90 days [Abstract]
Not accruing interest	15,708,000	25,910,000
Still accruing interest	4,912,000	8,654,000
TOTAL	20,620,000	34,564,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Risk Level, High [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	58,177,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Risk Level, Medium [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	473,394,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Risk Level, Low [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	1,096,676,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Not Scored [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	99,406,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | International [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	1,940,833,000
Maturities of gross sales-type lease and loan receivables [Abstract]
2012	118,938,000
2013	105,440,000
2014	92,832,000
2015	73,762,000
2016	60,666,000
Thereafter	8,463,000
Capital Leases Future Minimum Payments Receivable	460,101,000
Activity In Allowance For Credit Losses For Sales Type Lease And Loan Receivables [Abstract]
Opening Balance			12,232,000
Amounts charged to expense	5,087,000	6,719,000	8,674,000
Accounts written off	6,366,000	6,478,000	7,829,000
Other	0	0	0
The aging of sales-type lease and loan receivable [Abstract]
Less than 31 days past due	434,811,000	447,459,000
Greater than 30 days and Less than 61 days	10,152,000	10,018,000
Greater than 60 days and Less than 91 days	5,666,000	4,743,000
Greater than 90 days and Less than 121 days	3,207,000	3,985,000
Greater than 120 days	6,265,000	8,690,000
TOTAL	460,101,000	474,895,000
Past due amounts > 90 days [Abstract]
Not accruing interest	6,265,000	8,690,000
Still accruing interest	3,207,000	3,985,000
TOTAL	9,472,000	12,675,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Risk Level, High [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	60,755,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Risk Level, Medium [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	512,419,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Risk Level, Low [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	1,191,682,000
Finance Leases Financing Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Not Scored [Member]
Sales- type Lease receivables [Abstract]
Gross finance receivables	175,977,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | United States [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	436,631,000
Activity In Allowance For Credit Losses For Sales Type Lease And Loan Receivables [Abstract]
Opening Balance			25,759,000
Amounts charged to expense	7,631,000	20,046,000	32,007,000
Accounts written off	13,567,000	19,677,000	31,927,000
Other	0	0	0
The aging of sales-type lease and loan receivable [Abstract]
Less than 31 days past due	414,434,000	430,042,000
Greater than 30 days and Less than 61 days	12,399,000	12,081,000
Greater than 60 days and Less than 91 days	4,362,000	4,711,000
Greater than 90 days and Less than 121 days	2,328,000	2,712,000
Greater than 120 days	3,108,000	3,816,000
TOTAL	436,631,000	453,362,000
Past due amounts > 90 days [Abstract]
Not accruing interest	5,436,000	6,528,000
Still accruing interest	0	0
TOTAL	5,436,000	6,528,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Risk Level, High [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	21,081,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Risk Level, Medium [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	115,490,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Risk Level, Low [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	269,547,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | United States [Member] | Not Scored [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	30,513,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | International [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	453,362,000
Activity In Allowance For Credit Losses For Sales Type Lease And Loan Receivables [Abstract]
Opening Balance			2,617,000
Amounts charged to expense	1,610,000	2,024,000	2,007,000
Accounts written off	1,264,000	2,149,000	2,387,000
Other	0	0	0
The aging of sales-type lease and loan receivable [Abstract]
Less than 31 days past due	38,841,000	32,389,000
Greater than 30 days and Less than 61 days	1,066,000	1,149,000
Greater than 60 days and Less than 91 days	425,000	325,000
Greater than 90 days and Less than 121 days	186,000	192,000
Greater than 120 days	419,000	138,000
TOTAL	40,937,000	34,193,000
Past due amounts > 90 days [Abstract]
Not accruing interest	605,000	330,000
Still accruing interest	0	0
TOTAL	605,000	330,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Risk Level, High [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	21,768,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Risk Level, Medium [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	155,615,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Risk Level, Low [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	274,156,000
Loan Receivable [Member] | International [Member] | Not Scored [Member]
Loans Receivable [Abstract]
Loan receivable	$ 1,823,000