For thousands of Indian users, the “Year of AI” just hit a sudden, paywalled speed bump. Airtel subscribers who claimed the complimentary one-year Perplexity Pro subscription – a deal valued at roughly ₹17,000 – are waking up to find their premium access revoked months ahead of schedule. The reason? A new, unannounced requirement to link a credit card to keep the “free” trial alive.
Also read: ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity Pro paid subscriptions are now free in India: Here’s how to get them
When the partnership was announced in mid-2025, it was hailed as a democratization of advanced AI. Airtel offered its vast user base no-strings-attached access to Perplexity’s top-tier models, including GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Unlike standard free trials that demand payment details upfront, the initial Airtel redemption process was frictionless. Users simply claimed the offer via the Airtel Thanks app and started searching.
But the honeymoon phase is over. Over the last week, social media platforms and tech forums have flooded with complaints from users whose Pro dashboards have reverted to the basic free tier. Upon investigating, they were met with a prompt: add a valid payment method to resume Pro benefits. The move has sparked widespread frustration, with many users feeling blindsided. It feels like a classic bait-and-switch tactic.
Also read: ChatGPT Go vs Perplexity Pro vs Gemini Pro: Features compared, which AI is best?
While Perplexity has not issued a formal press release detailing the shift, support channels suggest the move is an “anti-fraud measure” designed to verify genuine users and streamline the transition to paid plans once the year concludes. It is a common tactic in the SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) world, but applying it retroactively to an active, carrier-bundled perk is a risky strategy.
The friction is compounded by a general mistrust of “auto-debit” mandates in India. Many users fear being charged inadvertently if they forget to cancel, despite assurances that no charge will be levied until the trial officially expires. For now, the choice for Airtel users is stark: trust the AI giant with your credit card information, or go back to the basic search bar.
