Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (numerator for diluted EPS)	$ 65,133	$ 58,046
Less: Preference stock dividend	9	10
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)	$ 65,124	$ 58,036
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)	185,982	192,241
Effect of dilutive shares:
Conversion of Preferred stock and Preference stock (in shares)	293	304
Employee stock plans (in shares)	600	636
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)	186,875	193,181
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.30
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.30
Anti-dilutive shares not used in calculating diluted weighted-average shares (in shares)	11,176	8,870