16-May-2025 :

Perplexity, the fast-growing AI search startup, has announced a strategic partnership with PayPal to integrate payments directly into its agentic search interface. The move will allow users to complete purchases inside the search flow, eliminating the need to navigate through third-party sites.
This collaboration marks a significant step toward what Perplexity calls 'agentic commerce,' where AI agents not only recommend products but can also complete transactions on the user's behalf in a seamless, secure way. By embedding PayPal’s payment capabilities, Perplexity empowers users to go from query to checkout in a matter of seconds.
The announcement signals a new evolution in how consumers interact with AI systems. Rather than simply consuming search results, users will now be able to act on recommendations, book services, and buy products—all within the context of a conversational interface.
PayPal’s President and CEO Alex Chriss noted that this partnership is a milestone in redefining digital commerce experiences, aligning with PayPal’s mission to power smarter financial tools across new surfaces of interaction. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas emphasized that commerce is one of the most obvious extensions of generative AI and conversational search.
The partnership is launching with selected pilot partners across categories such as books, consumer electronics, and home goods, with broader expansion planned later this year. As AI agents become increasingly capable of understanding context, preferences, and intent, this agentic model could reshape the future of online shopping.
Perplexity continues to innovate at the frontier of AI-powered answers and commerce, while PayPal extends its fintech reach into conversational interfaces—bringing together intelligence and transaction flow in a unified experience.