Users who consult with Perplexity’s artificial intelligence platform will soon be able to purchase products and services directly within the chat using PayPal.
This feature will be exclusive to Perplexity Pro subscribers, who can choose to use either PayPal or Venmo, as well as the payment firm’s passkey checkout solution, to complete one-click purchases. PayPal will manage the heavy lifting of payments, including processing, shipping, tracking, and invoicing.
This functionality would allow a customer to chat with a Perplexity AI agent about an upcoming vacation and then purchase tickets directly in the app. Similarly, a consumer searching for a particular item could narrow their search with the help of AI and complete the purchase.
Taking on Larger Role
It’s clear that the largest financial services companies in the world believe that AI is primed to take on a larger role in global commerce. Recently, Visa and Mastercard rolled out platforms that put agentic AI center stage.
These platforms are similar to the Perplexity/PayPal model, allowing customers to chat with AI about the products or services they want.
However, the services from the credit card companies give AI agents more control, enabling them to autonomously handle every step of the transaction, including the purchase itself.
Addressing the Concerns
Despite the potential of agentic commerce, AI’s increased involvement in transactions will likely cause many consumers to balk for several reasons.
First, there have been numerous instances where AI has produced false or misleading information. Additionally, there is always the risk that bad actors could exploit, manipulate, or impersonate AI agents to perpetrate fraud.
Lastly, privacy concerns arise when entrusting personal information to AI—concerns that are heightened when dealing with payments data.
In an interview with CNBC, Srini Venkatesan, CTO at PayPal, addressed some of these concerns, stating that PayPal’s advantage lies in its ability to securely verify both buyers and sellers. The payments firm can authenticate users with its wallet and automatically populate billing and shipping information, potentially mitigating both friction and fraud.
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