Meet the Perplexity Merchant Program: What Ecommerce Stores Need to Do (And Know)

Search — and shopping — is changing.

With Perplexity, consumers can buy what they need, from TVs to sneakers, without ever leaving the platform. For ecommerce stores, this AI-powered shopping experience opens a new revenue channel.

And it starts with the Perplexity Merchant Program.

What is the Perplexity Merchant Program?

The Perplexity Merchant Program is like Google Merchant Center — businesses can share their product catalog, from reviews to prices to specs, so Perplexity can deliver the most relevant and up-to-date product options to searchers.

Consumers can then purchase these products, with Pro users being able to complete their purchase within Perplexity using the “Buy with Pro” feature (which also includes free shipping).

Who is eligible for the Perplexity Merchant Program?

Companies must sell and ship to the U.S. to be eligible for Perplexity’s Merchant Program. If this sounds like your business (and you’re interested), you can apply to join the program by completing this form.

Completing the form takes less than five minutes and only requires:

• Your brand name
• Your website
• Your name
• Your email
• Your vertical (like home goods)

Do products outside Perplexity’s Merchant Program appear in results?

Yes — for Shopify stores, at least.

Through its Shopify partnership, Perplexity can serve products outside its Merchant Program if those products exist on a Shopify store. The company has also partnered with the tech company Firmly to support other ecommerce setups.

How much does the Perplexity Merchant Program cost?

The Perplexity Merchant Program is free. There are no initial or ongoing costs.

Why join Perplexity’s Merchant Program?

Joining Perplexity’s Merchant Program offers a few perks, including:

Reach more relevant shoppers with zero fees

Even though it’s smaller than other AI platforms, like ChatGPT, Perplexity’s Merchant Program still offers access to more than 22 million users, who use the platform similar to a search engine or news feed.

For ecommerce stores with a target market of high-income college graduates, it’s a worthwhile place to appear since 80% and 65% of its users are college graduates and high-income earners, respectively.

Remove checkout friction for higher conversion rates

Each year, U.S. businesses lose an estimated $260 billion from abandoned shopping carts. Perplexity pushes back on this behavior with an agent-driven shopping experience (for Pro users) that removes friction points, like:

• Completing multiple checkout stages
• Entering shipping and billing addresses
• Adding payment information
• Navigating shipping costs and taxes

Look at your website analytics — what percentage of users abandon their shopping carts, and how much revenue is lost to each abandoned cart? With Perplexity Merchant Center, your business could offset these losses.

Build AI-powered shopping experiences on-site

With free access to Perplexity’s API, you can build AI-powered shopping experiences on your own site, like to help users find the perfect plan or product size for their unique needs.

This kind of setup can:

• Streamline research times for bigger purchases
• Help users find the best product fit faster
• Increase purchase confidence
• Provide insight into how users are searching

Improve audience insights with AI search data

Besides providing businesses with a new marketplace, Perplexity is also offering valuable audience insights through its AI search data. You’ll have access to a custom dashboard for seeing:

• Search trends
• Shopping trends

Links from Perplexity to your website also include UTM parameters, so you can see:

• Which product listings generate traffic
• How users interact with those listings on your site
• Whether users convert, exit, or visit other site pages

You can use this data to make strategic marketing decisions, like:

• Improving a product listing’s design, offer, or copy
• Creating personalized offers for Perplexity traffic, like free shipping
• Building remarketing campaigns for different product groups

How to generate an ROI from the Perplexity Merchant Program

Get a better return on investment (ROI) from the Perplexity Merchant Program by:

1. Making product profiles complete, from providing dimensions to price ranges
2. Using high-quality product images, from lifestyle to studio shots
3. Getting specific with product details, like highlighting use cases, who it’s best for, and more
4. Including relevant phrases and keywords, like ‘headphones for running’ or ‘best for kids under 5’
5. Increasing product reviews, like through email drip campaigns, offer codes, or packaging inserts

These optimizations align with other merchant programs, like:

• Google Merchant Center
• Amazon Seller Central
• Microsoft Merchant Center

How does Perplexity’s Merchant Program compare to Google Merchant Center?

When it comes to Perplexity’s Merchant Program vs. Google’s Merchant Center, there are noticeable differences (in part because of age and how these platforms approach search):

Get your products discovered across Perplexity

When is the best time to get on a train? When it’s stopped at the station — not when it’s going 79 MPH. Perplexity’s Merchant Program is that train, and it’s leaving the station.

That’s why now is the time for ecommerce businesses to join the program and start reaping its benefits, from its non-existent costs to friction-free checkout process.

If you’re looking for professional help, from navigating the application process to managing product listings to improving overall brand visibility on the platform, WebFX can help.

Contact us online today to see what’s waiting!