Perplexity's OneGov Deal and Agentic Shopping: What Public Sector Leaders Need to Know
Two updates this week matter for anyone working in government procurement, policy, or digital services. First, Perplexity reached a "first-of-its-kind" agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to provide AI research and drafting tools to federal agencies at deeply discounted pricing. Second, the company previewed a free agentic shopping experience for U.S. consumers that enables checkout directly from search answers.
These developments sit alongside a Colorado appellate ruling that tightens state-level interest-rate enforcement for loans involving state residents-an outcome that could reshape how BNPL and sponsor-bank models operate nationally. Together, they signal faster AI adoption in government and tighter compliance requirements for consumer-lending products.
What's in the GSA-Perplexity "OneGov" Agreement
- Agencies can access Perplexity Enterprise Pro for Government for 25 cents per agency over an 18-month term, according to GSA.
- The agreement is framed as "secure, enterprise-grade" access across major AI models to support research and drafting workflows.
- "Access to cutting-edge AI models is essential for integrating AI into federal government operations and modernizing inefficient processes," said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum.
- Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas added: "We're proud to support President Trump's AI Action Plan by giving federal employees cited, verifiable answers across every major AI model."
Procurement note: OneGov's approach works directly with original equipment manufacturers and technology firms to pursue transparent pricing, streamlined acquisition, and cybersecurity requirements. Similar deals have appeared across the market: Google's "Gemini for Government" at 47 cents in year one and xAI's Grok access at 42 cents per agency for 18 months.
Why this matters for agencies
- Budget planning: The near-zero pricing lowers barriers for pilots, evaluations, and controlled rollouts without lengthy custom agreements.
- Governance: Enterprise features matter more than raw model performance. Look for auditability, citations, model choice, data isolation, and role-based access.
- Workflows: Research and drafting support can reduce cycle times for briefings, RFI responses, grants, and policy summaries-if paired with clear SOPs and review gates.
Consumer side: Agentic shopping inside Perplexity
Perplexity's new shopping flow lets users research and then purchase "right from the answer," according to Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko. Over time, the feature is expected to support buying from up to 5,000 merchants through Perplexity's search engine.
Implication for public sector: While this targets consumers, the pattern-actions embedded in answers-will likely influence how citizens expect to interact with services. Expect similar "from insight to action" interfaces across benefits discovery, permit steps, and fee payments, with strict guardrails for consent, security, and fraud prevention.
Colorado Court Ruling Puts BNPL Lending Under New Pressure
A Colorado appellate decision clarified that the state can enforce its interest-rate caps on loans "made in" the state when either the lender or the borrower is located in Colorado. This reverses a lower-court view that focused only on lender location and weakens reliance on federal rate exportation in opt-out states under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code (UCCC).
Colorado cited concerns about "rent-a-bank arrangements," where nonbank lenders rely on out-of-state banks to avoid local caps. The ruling invites more state-level scrutiny and could prompt similar actions elsewhere.
What this means for BNPL and sponsor-bank models
- APR fragmentation: Providers may face different caps by state, even for the same product, which complicates pricing and disclosures.
- Fee sensitivity: Late, processing, or operational fees can push APR toward ceilings, affecting "no-interest" positioning.
- Operational overhead: Lenders will need precise borrower geolocation, state-specific underwriting rules, and possibly multiple bank partners-or consider a bank charter path.
- Market coverage: Some firms may pause or pare back offerings in lower-cap states or shift to merchant-subsidized, zero-percent plans for shorter terms.
Action items for government teams
- Program oversight: If your agency touches BNPL (procurement portals, travel, healthcare payments), review how vendors handle state caps and fee disclosures.
- Data requirements: Ask for evidence of state-level underwriting logic, borrower location handling, and APR calculation methods.
- Consumer protection: Coordinate with legal and policy teams to monitor complaint trends and ensure disclosures are clear for short-cycle installment offers.
- Coordination: Align with state AGs and the CFPB on interpretations of Subpart B of Regulation Z for BNPL-like structures.
Quick Takeaways for Public Sector Leaders
- Low-friction AI procurement is here: OneGov pricing enables rapid pilots, but success depends on governance, not volume of licenses.
- Citizen expectations will shift: Answer-to-action patterns in consumer apps will raise the bar for service design and transaction flows in government.
- BNPL compliance is getting tougher: State caps apply based on borrower presence. Expect more state activity and higher vendor compliance costs.
- Demand better proof: Require vendors to document model controls, audit trails, data protections, and state-specific lending logic.
References and further reading
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