Get Up to $50 Back When You Pay with PayPal in Perplexity Chat
▼ Summary
– Perplexity and PayPal have launched an “instant buy” feature allowing users to purchase products securely via PayPal without leaving the Perplexity chat interface.
– The feature is built on Perplexity’s AI shopping assistant, which provides personalized product recommendations based on user queries and past chat history.
– It aims to reduce steps between product discovery and checkout, similar to Amazon’s “Buy Now” button, to increase purchase completion rates.
– Currently, only five brands are available for purchase through the feature, with plans to onboard more in the future.
– As a holiday incentive, users who make a purchase by December 1 will receive a 50% refund (up to $50) on their purchase price.
A new collaboration between Perplexity and PayPal is making waves by introducing a streamlined purchasing capability directly within the Perplexity chat interface. This “instant buy” feature lets shoppers in the United States complete transactions using their PayPal account without ever navigating away from their conversation. Designed to simplify the path from product discovery to final purchase, the tool aims to capture attention during the busy holiday shopping season.
The functionality builds upon the existing AI-powered shopping assistant that Perplexity rolled out previously. Acting like a personal shopper, this agent interprets detailed user requests, such as asking for warm, stylish winter boots suitable for New York City, and scours the internet to deliver tailored product suggestions. It pulls in customer reviews and other pertinent details, and over time, it learns from past interactions to better understand individual preferences and lifestyles.
Much like the familiar “Buy Now” button seen on many e-commerce sites, Perplexity’s instant buy seeks to reduce friction by cutting out extra steps. The goal is to make the shopping process so effortless that customers are more likely to follow through with a purchase. For participating brands, it’s an opportunity to present relevant items to shoppers immediately, bypassing the need to sift through crowded, advertisement-heavy product listings.
Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s Chief Business Officer, emphasized the shift in consumer expectations, noting that both shoppers and merchants are looking for an e-commerce experience that is not only seamless but also deeply personalized in this age of artificial intelligence.
At launch, the selection is limited to just five brands: Abercrombie & Fitch, Ashley Furniture, Fabletics, and two others. However, the company has confirmed that many additional merchants will be joining the platform in the near future. To encourage early adoption, a special promotion is in effect: users who make a purchase through the PayPal-powered feature before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 1 will get 50% of their purchase price refunded, up to a maximum of $50.
This move is part of a broader trend where tech firms are racing to integrate AI assistants into online shopping. Competitors like OpenAI’s Atlas browser allow users to add items to a cart and review orders via an Agent mode, while Google’s AI Mode can suggest gifts and surface products. Not to be left out, Amazon launched its own AI shopping assistant, Rufus, earlier this year. The competitive landscape grew more intense recently when Amazon threatened legal action against Perplexity, alleging that its agent was operating improperly on Amazon’s website.
AI shopping helpers are becoming a common feature as technology companies work to embed intelligent agents across many aspects of our digital routines, from email and web browsing to everyday search activities. This integration represents a significant shift in how consumers interact with online marketplaces, promising a more intuitive and efficient shopping journey.
(Source: ZDNET)
