Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	Jun. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of operations	Nature of operations: Peoples Financial Services Corp., a bank holding company incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, provides a full range of financial services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company (“Peoples Bank”), including its subsidiaries, Peoples Advisors, LLC and Penseco Realty, Inc. (collectively, the “Company” or “Peoples”). The Company services its retail and commercial customers through twenty-six full-service community banking offices located within the Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania and Broome County of New York.
Basis of presentation	Basis of presentation: The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP’) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10-01 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations for the periods presented have been included. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Prior-period amounts are reclassified when necessary to conform to the current year’s presentation. These reclassifications did not have any effect on the operating results or financial position of the Company. The operating results and financial position of the Company for the three and six months ended and as of June 30, 2015, are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations and financial position that may be expected in the future. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates that are particularly susceptible to material change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, fair value of financial instruments, the valuation of real estate acquired in connection with foreclosures or in satisfaction of loans, the valuation of deferred tax assets, determination of other-than-temporary impairment losses on securities, impairment of goodwill and fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. For additional information and disclosures required under GAAP, reference is made to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2014. The Company has evaluated events and transactions occurring subsequent to the balance sheet date of June 30, 2015, for items that should potentially be recognized or disclosed in these consolidated financial statements. The evaluation was conducted through the date these consolidated financial statements were issued.
Recent accounting standards	Recent accounting standards: In May 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): “Pushdown Accounting—Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 115.” This ASU rescinds certain SEC guidance in order to conform with ASU 2014-17, Pushdown Accounting. ASU 2014-17 was issued in November 2014 and provides a reporting entity that is a business or nonprofit activity (an “acquiree”) the option to apply pushdown accounting to its separate financial statements when an acquirer obtains control of the acquiree. SAB 115 became effective November 21, 2014. The adoption of ASU 2015-18 did not have a material effect on the operating results or financial position of the Company.