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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →SoftBank’s 2024 partnership with Perplexity gave eligible SoftBank, Y!mobile and LINEMO customers one year of Perplexity Pro at no charge. That promotion ended on June 18, 2025. As of August 18, 2026, the replacement offer is six months free for qualifying first-time users, followed by a SoftBank-billed charge of ¥2,950 per month unless the customer cancels.
This is a distribution and billing partnership, not the first technical availability of Perplexity in Japan. Perplexity still provides the AI service; SoftBank makes it available through its consumer and enterprise sales channels.
What SoftBank and Perplexity announced
On June 17, 2024, SoftBank described its arrangement with Perplexity as a strategic partnership. Starting June 19, 2024, customers of SoftBank, Y!mobile and LINEMO could apply for one year of Perplexity Pro without a subscription charge. SoftBank called the promotion exclusive among Japan’s mobile operators to those three brands. SoftBank’s announcement opened applications at 9 a.m. Japan time.
The original campaign ran through June 18, 2025, with the same application deadline, according to the archived campaign page. It is therefore not accurate in 2026 to describe the one-year promotion as still active.
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Perplexity is an AI answer engine that searches the web, produces a conversational response and displays source links and related material. Its citations make checking an answer easier, but they do not guarantee that a generated summary is accurate, complete or fairly representative. For medical, legal, financial, political and other high-stakes questions, open the cited sources and verify the underlying claims.
In the 2024 SoftBank description, Perplexity Pro included access to selectable advanced language models, image generation, unlimited file uploads, saved search history, an AI profile for personalization and chat-based support tools. Features and limits can change, so that list describes the launch-era package rather than a permanent specification. See SoftBank’s 2024 feature description.
The timeline from the original deal to the current offer
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| June 17, 2024 | SoftBank announces a strategic partnership with Perplexity. |
| June 19, 2024 | One-year Perplexity Pro promotion opens for SoftBank, Y!mobile and LINEMO customers. |
| March 17, 2025 | SoftBank announces sales of Perplexity Enterprise Pro to Japanese businesses. |
| June 18, 2025 | The original one-year consumer campaign ends. |
| June 19, 2025 | SoftBank launches the current carrier-billed option: six months free for eligible first-time users. |
| August 18, 2026 | The current terms remain six months free, then ¥2,950 per month; no campaign end date has been announced. |
Sources: 2024 announcement, archived offer, 2025 replacement announcement, current service page.
What is available now: Perplexity Pro for SoftBank
The current product is called Perplexity Pro for SoftBank. Eligible customers of SoftBank, Y!mobile and LINEMO can receive six months without the monthly charge if they meet the first-time-user rules. From the seventh month, SoftBank says the price is ¥2,950 per month. The option automatically becomes paid unless it is canceled.
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- The six-month campaign began June 19, 2025, and has no announced end date.
- The SoftBank option is carrier-billed; it is not the same subscription route as buying directly through Perplexity’s website or app stores.
- The annual plan is not included in this carrier option.
- Eligible SoftBank customers may receive 10% of the pre-tax monthly fee in PayPay points through SoftBank’s entertainment benefit after the free period—described by SoftBank as approximately ¥268. Check the benefit’s conditions before treating it as a guaranteed net price. SoftBank Entertainment Benefit terms.
Who qualifies—and who does not
Basic eligibility
- You must have an eligible SoftBank, Y!mobile or LINEMO mobile service.
- You need a Perplexity account. If you do not have one, the application flow lets you create it.
- Customers younger than 13 cannot apply. Ages 13 through 17 require parental or guardian consent.
- Corporate customers cannot use this consumer offer.
Previous Perplexity use can remove the free period
Customers who used the original one-year campaign or another qualifying Perplexity Pro free promotion may be excluded from the current six-month benefit. A person already paying directly for Perplexity Pro generally cannot stack the SoftBank option and may need to cancel the existing plan first. Someone still using the original one-year promotion may be allowed to apply, but does not receive another six free months. SoftBank’s eligibility rules.
How to apply
SoftBank’s current route is as follows; labels can change as the website is updated.
- Open the Perplexity Pro for SoftBank page and tap the application button.
- Review and accept the displayed conditions.
- Select an existing Perplexity account or create one.
- Turn off Wi-Fi during carrier authentication, as SoftBank instructs.
- Sign in with the relevant SoftBank account.
- Confirm the contract and complete the application.
- If wanted, enroll separately in SoftBank’s entertainment benefit.
Having a compatible phone alone is not enough: the process requires carrier authentication, an eligible line and a Perplexity account.
Billing, cancellation and switching rules
When charges begin
The first paid month is month seven. SoftBank’s terms state that there is no prorated billing if the service ends partway through a billing month. Set a reminder before the free period ends if you do not intend to continue.
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How to cancel
Cancel through the relevant carrier account system—My SoftBank, My Y!mobile or MyMenu—or at a SoftBank shop, following the applicable instructions. Deleting a Perplexity account does not cancel the SoftBank subscription. Cancellation generally leaves access active until the end of the current contract period rather than ending it immediately. Read the service terms.
What happens if you change carriers
- Canceling the underlying eligible mobile line ends the Perplexity Pro entitlement, and the Perplexity account moves to the free version.
- Moving by number transfer among SoftBank, Y!mobile and LINEMO may preserve the option, subject to the applicable conditions.
- Moving by MNP to another carrier ends the SoftBank-billed service.
Why the partnership mattered
Perplexity’s distribution strategy
The deal gave Perplexity a large existing mobile audience, a low-friction trial mechanism and a Japanese billing and distribution partner. It also created a route to enterprise customers later, rather than relying only on direct web and app subscriptions. TechCrunch characterized the arrangement as a way to expand Perplexity’s user base and data touchpoints in SoftBank’s home market; that interpretation does not establish the details of any data-sharing arrangement. TechCrunch’s contemporary analysis.
SoftBank’s consumer and enterprise goals
SoftBank gained a premium AI service to bundle with connectivity, encourage experimentation and differentiate its brands without building the entire answer engine itself. The partnership later expanded: on March 17, 2025, SoftBank began selling Perplexity Enterprise Pro to Japanese corporate customers and described itself as Perplexity’s first authorized reseller for that product in Japan. SoftBank’s enterprise announcement and Perplexity’s account.
SoftBank separately discusses AI infrastructure and Japanese-language models, but Perplexity Pro remains a Perplexity service. The public partnership materials do not say that the consumer product runs on a SoftBank-built search engine or model. SoftBank’s AI strategy discussion.
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How much usage did the promotion generate?
SoftBank’s August 2024 earnings presentation displayed 380 million searches during the campaign period, compared with 30 million in the January–March 2023 comparison shown on the slide, and labeled the increase “up 1000%.” Those are presentation-period figures with the slide’s own comparison and definitions; they are not a verified count of Japanese users, paying subscribers or revenue. See the earnings slide.
Which option makes financial sense?
| Option | Best for | Main benefit | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity Pro for SoftBank | Eligible SoftBank, Y!mobile or LINEMO customers | Six months free, with carrier billing | Auto-renews at ¥2,950 monthly and depends on the eligible mobile service |
| Direct Perplexity subscription | Users who want access independent of a Japanese carrier | No carrier requirement | No SoftBank introductory benefit; current direct prices are not established here |
| Enterprise Pro through SoftBank | Japanese companies | Local enterprise sales and support channel | Public enterprise pricing is not stated |
For an existing eligible customer who wants to test advanced AI search, six free months can be good value—provided the seventh-month charge is tracked. It is not a sound reason by itself to choose a more expensive or unsuitable mobile plan. Compare the total wireless cost, check whether you have already used a qualifying Perplexity promotion, and decide whether the free tier meets your needs before linking an account to carrier billing.
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