Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations	$ 55,250	$ 152,509	$ 113,296	$ 232,964
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(1,660)	(739)	(1,660)	(582)
Net income - Pitney Bowes Inc. (numerator for diluted EPS)	53,590	151,770	111,636	232,382
Less: Preference stock dividend	9	10	19	21
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)	$ 53,581	$ 151,760	$ 111,617	$ 232,361
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)	187,395	201,712	189,929	201,504
Effect of dilutive shares:
Conversion of Preferred stock and Preference stock (in shares)	300	324	302	329
Employee stock plans (in shares)	667	804	575	801
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)	188,362	202,840	190,806	202,634
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ 0.76	$ 0.60	$ 1.16
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.01)	0.00	(0.01)	0.00
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	0.29	0.75	0.59	1.15
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.29	0.75	0.59	1.15
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.01)	0.00	(0.01)	0.00
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	$ 0.28	$ 0.75	$ 0.59	$ 1.15
Anti-dilutive shares not used in calculating diluted weighted-average shares (in shares)	6,878	6,395	8,892	7,313