Earnings per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Amounts attributable to common stockholders:
Net income from continuing operations		$ 57,358	$ 65,803	$ 171,392	$ 179,099
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax		0	(291)	0	(1,951)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (numerator for diluted EPS)		57,358	65,512	171,392	177,148
Less: Preference stock dividend		9	10	28	29
Income attributable to common stockholders (numerator for basic EPS)		$ 57,349	$ 65,502	$ 171,364	$ 177,119
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares used in basic EPS (in shares)		186,497	185,603	186,257	188,634
Effect of dilutive shares:
Conversion of Preferred stock and Preference stock (in shares)		281	299	287	301
Employee stock plans (in shares)		979	781	656	657
Weighted-average shares used in diluted EPS (in shares)		187,757	186,683	187,200	189,592
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 0.31	$ 0.35	$ 0.92	$ 0.95
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.00	0.00	0.00	(0.01)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.31	0.35	0.92	0.94
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.31	0.35	0.92	0.94
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	0.00	0.00	0.00	(0.01)
Net income attributable to Pitney Bowes Inc. (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 0.31	$ 0.35	$ 0.92	$ 0.93
Anti-dilutive shares not used in calculating diluted weighted-average shares (in shares)		9,927	8,036	10,211	8,148

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