The AI search startup Perplexity is stepping into the future of online shopping with a bold new partnership. The company announced on Wednesday that it has joined forces with PayPal to enable instant purchases directly within its chat interface. This move pushes the boundaries of what’s now being called “agentic commerce” — where AI not only finds products but also completes the entire transaction.
With the update rolling out this summer in the United States, users of Perplexity Pro will soon be able to shop, book tickets, or plan travel and check out seamlessly using PayPal or Venmo. According to the company, everything from payment to invoicing will happen in the background once users link their accounts. This could “eliminate the need for passwords” and “streamline the experience to a single user query or click,” Perplexity said in a statement.
AI Agents Take Over e-commerce Tasks
The collaboration will expand Perplexity’s AI-driven commerce services to PayPal’s massive network of more than 430 million active users across nearly 200 markets. This could fast-track adoption of AI shopping assistants who not only recommend but also purchase products on behalf of users — a trend that’s gathering momentum globally.
Perplexity is often compared to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini in how it delivers real-time information by pulling from the web. But with this payment integration, it’s clearly carving out a unique space. The company is backed by major players including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Japan’s SoftBank Group. Meanwhile, reports say Perplexity is in advanced talks to raise $500 million in funding, aiming for a staggering $14 billion valuation, as per the Wall Street Journal.
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