Airtel partnered with AI-powered answer engine Perplexity last year to offer eligible users a free Perplexity Pro subscription for one year. In December 2025, several users who had claimed the Airtel offer received emails from Perplexity. The company asked them to add a valid payment method to continue using the Pro subscription. Airtel later updated its terms and conditions page. The company confirmed that the promotional offer ended on January 16, 2026. Now, some users who had claimed the free Perplexity Pro membership are seeing their subscription status listed as Paused.
Many users have posted about the situation on X (formerly Twitter). This may be because there is no valid payment method linked to their Perplexity account. It may also happen if the card details previously added to the account are no longer valid.
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Users should check the Subscription section of their Perplexity account to see the current status of their membership. Those who do not want to pay for Perplexity Pro after the free period ends can avoid adding or updating their payment details. Meanwhile, users who want to continue with Perplexity Pro may need to link a valid payment method to their account.
It’s important to note that for most users, the free Perplexity Pro subscription will end this week. If you are someone who wishes to cancel their subscription, here is how to do it.
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Open the Perplexity website and sign in. Tap on the profile icon and select Settings using the gear icon. Next, open the Subscription section and select Manage Subscription. Tap on Cancel Subscription and confirm the action when asked.
Do note that cancelling the subscription may not immediately remove the existing complimentary Pro benefits. Users should be able to use Perplexity Pro until the expiry date shown on their account. However, the membership should not automatically renew or charge the linked payment method once the free period ends.
When the partnership was announced last year, Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, said that the partnership empowers Airtel users with a “powerful, real-time knowledge tool at no additional cost,” enabling them to stay ahead.
Aravind Srinivas, Cofounder and CEO of Perplexity, had said that this collaboration would make professional-grade AI accessible to students, professionals, and homemakers across India.
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