Perplexity AI Store Smart, Conversational Shopping with AI
Stop scrolling through endless product grids—Perplexity AI Store lets you just ask, and your AI shopper finds, compares, and helps you buy the right thing in a single conversation.
Perplexity started as an AI answer engine—a smarter way to search the web with citations. Today, it also works as a powerful AI shopping hub, often described as the Perplexity AI Store or Perplexity Shopping.
Instead of scrolling through endless product grids, you chat with Perplexity:
“Find a waterproof winter jacket under $200 for New York, minimalist style.”
Perplexity then searches products, filters them to match your intent, and shows clean product cards with specs, reviews, and prices. You can even buy directly inside Perplexity using PayPal’s Instant Buy.
There isn’t a separate app called “Perplexity AI Store.” Instead, the store experience lives inside Perplexity as:
Perplexity Shopping / Shopping Hub – an in-app ecommerce layer that lets you research and purchase products directly from Perplexity’s interface.
A conversational personal shopper that understands your preferences, remembers context, and refines recommendations through back-and-forth chat.
So when you say “Perplexity AI Store,” you’re really talking about this AI-powered shopping hub built into the Perplexity answer engine.
You don’t start with filters—you start with natural language:
Ask a detailed question (budget, style, size, use-case).
Perplexity runs AI-powered search across partner merchants and product feeds.
It returns ranked product cards with:
Name & brand
Key specs and highlights
Price
Short, curated review-style summary
You can reply with follow-ups like “cheaper,” “more minimalist,” or “show eco-friendly options,” and the AI adjusts instantly.
Perplexity has partnered with PayPal so you can complete some purchases without leaving Perplexity:
Product cards include a Buy / Instant Buy option.
Checkout runs through PayPal, but the merchant keeps the customer relationship—Perplexity acts as the assistant, not the seller.
For U.S. users, Perplexity and PayPal have also run promos like 50% back in PayPal Rewards on a first Instant Buy purchase (limited-time, capped promotion).
Shopping is currently focused on U.S. users via desktop and web, with iOS and Android support rolling out.
You access it either by:
Visiting perplexity.ai/shopping, or
Just asking a shopping-type question in the main Perplexity interface.
Perplexity positions its shopping experience as user-first, criticizing traditional ecommerce for pushing affiliate deals and cluttered grids.
The AI:
Tracks your preferences across a session (style, budget, use-cases).
Adapts based on follow-up questions.
Focuses on explanations and fit rather than just dumping links.
Instead of a long list of blue links, you get compact, information-rich cards:
Photos
Key specs and pros/cons
Price and availability
Short explanation of why the product fits your query
This aligns with Perplexity’s goal: treat shopping as answering a question, not showing an ad-driven results page.
For Perplexity Pro & Max subscribers, there’s a virtual clothes try-on feature:
Upload a selfie or full-body photo to create an avatar.
Try on individual garments (e.g., jackets, shirts) from supported stores.
Get fast previews of how items drape and fit on your body.
It’s not yet full outfit styling, but it’s ideal for quick visual checks before buying.
Tutorials and community posts highlight image-driven queries, where you:
Upload a photo or screenshot of a product you like.
Ask Perplexity to find similar items across partner merchants.
This turns the AI store into a kind of reverse image search plus recommendations.
For brands, Perplexity runs a Merchant Program:
Merchants share structured product data (feeds/specs) with Perplexity.
This improves how accurately Perplexity can match products to shopper queries.
Participation increases chances of showing up as a recommended product in user sessions.
The program is free for merchants and is separate from Perplexity’s sponsored questions / ad products.
Traditional ecommerce:
Starts with search bars + filter sidebars
Optimizes category pages and grids for clicks
Often pushes sponsored or affiliate-driven placements
Perplexity AI Store:
Starts with conversation (“I walk in the rain a lot; recommend shoes that…”)
Returns explanatory product cards instead of ad-heavy grids
Focuses on quality match + clear reasoning over aggressive promotions
Many AI assistants now have shopping tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot). Article comparisons note:
ChatGPT focuses more on in-depth shopping research.
Perplexity emphasizes smooth discovery and built-in checkout via PayPal.
So Perplexity’s “store” is positioned as:
“The place where you both research and buy, without leaving the conversation.”
There are two cost layers:
Using the store / shopping assistant
Asking shopping questions and browsing product cards is free for users.
You only pay normal product prices when you decide to purchase via partner merchants.
Subscription for advanced features
Perplexity Pro/Max (~$20/month+ depending on plan) increase limits overall and unlock perks like unlimited Pro Search and features such as virtual try-on.
Purchases themselves are processed by participating retailers through PayPal’s Instant Buy; Perplexity is the assistant layer, not the merchant of record.
Open Perplexity
Go to perplexity.ai or directly to perplexity.ai/shopping.
Describe What You Need
Example:
“I need a lightweight carry-on suitcase under $250, hard shell, spinner wheels, good reviews.”
Review Product Cards
Compare options, read short summaries, and scan specs and reviews pulled into the card layout.
Refine with Follow-Ups
“Make it cheaper.”
“Show only brands with long warranties.”
“Find a minimalist design in black.”
Check Details & Sources
Open product pages or review links from within Perplexity to verify info and photos.
Buy with PayPal (Where Available)
Use Instant Buy inside Perplexity if the product supports it, or finish checkout on the merchant’s site.
Highly personalized shopping based on natural language.
Less clutter than traditional ecommerce—no ad-heavy grids.
Built-in PayPal checkout for a smoother purchase flow.
Virtual try-on for clothes (Pro/Max) enhances confidence before buying.
Strong discovery: a new channel for brands and merchants via Merchant Program.
Currently U.S.-centric; global rollout is limited.
Advanced features like virtual try-on require a paid Perplexity plan.
As with any AI agent that can act on your behalf online, there are emerging legal and trust debates—for example, Amazon’s lawsuit over Perplexity’s agentic shopping tool in its Comet browser, which raises questions about automation on third-party platforms.
Users should double-check product details on the merchant site before buying and be cautious about allowing any tool to automate logins or purchases.
Everyday shoppers who are tired of scrolling through dozens of tabs and want a single conversational assistant.
Deal-hunters and gift-shoppers looking for fast, curated recommendations during busy seasons.
Brands & retailers that want exposure in conversational AI interfaces via the Merchant Program.
The Perplexity AI Store isn’t a separate app—it's the shopping side of Perplexity’s answer engine, combining:
Conversational search
Smart product cards
PayPal Instant Buy
Optional Pro features like virtual try-on
If you already use Perplexity for research, the shopping hub turns it into a place where you can research, compare, and buy in one continuous conversation—cutting your holiday or everyday shopping from hours of tab-hopping down to a few focused questions.
