PayPal offers 430M users free $200 Perplexity AI browser trial

PayPal and Venmo users in the U.S. and select global markets will receive early access to Perplexity’s new AI-powered Comet browser through a free 12-month trial of the startup’s Pro subscription, worth $200 annually. This partnership gives the Nvidia-backed AI search company access to PayPal’s 430 million users while positioning PayPal’s new subscriptions hub as a gateway for premium digital services.

What you should know: The collaboration marks one of the first major offerings in PayPal’s newly launched subscriptions management hub, which helps users track and manage recurring payments.

• Users can sign up for Perplexity Pro directly through the PayPal app starting Wednesday, while international customers can activate the offer by selecting PayPal at checkout when signing up online.
• The Perplexity Pro subscription normally costs $200 per year or $20 per month, making this a significant value proposition for PayPal’s customer base.

How Comet works: The AI browser integrates Perplexity’s search tools directly into web browsing, allowing users to interact with personal data and automate tasks.

• Users can ask questions about emails, calendars, or browsing history, and perform functions like scheduling meetings or summarizing webpages.
• Comet launched in early July with limited access before expanding to more users last month.
• The browser is currently available to Perplexity Max and Pro subscribers, with Comet Plus features included for paying tiers.

In plain English: Think of Comet as a smart assistant built into your web browser that can understand and work with your personal information. Instead of manually searching through emails or calendars, you can simply ask the browser questions like “What meetings do I have tomorrow?” or “Summarize this webpage for me,” and it will provide answers by analyzing your data.

The bigger picture: This partnership strengthens Perplexity’s position as it competes with OpenAI and Google in the AI-powered search market.

• The startup is developing a mobile version of Comet and has been in discussions with smartphone manufacturers about distributing the browser on mobile devices.
• PayPal and Perplexity previously partnered in May to enable direct purchases within Perplexity’s chat interface, enhancing its commerce capabilities.

Why this matters: The deal provides Perplexity with a massive potential user base for onboarding while giving PayPal a compelling premium service to showcase its subscription management platform. For users, it represents early access to cutting-edge AI browsing technology that could reshape how people interact with web content and personal data.