PayPal possibly purchases Pinterest

PayPal is exploring a huge $45 billion acquisition of Pinterest. The move would launch PayPal into the creator-driven e-commerce and advertising businesses, possibly setting up a rivalry with newfound competitors like Amazon and Facebook.

Crafty
PayPal is putting Pinterest up on its vision board.

• PayPal is reportedly looking to acquire Pinterest in a deal that could cost $45 billion ($70 per share).
  • PayPal has a valuation of $304 billion.
• Talks are still preliminary, but the deal would be PayPal’s biggest acquisition to date by a large margin.

Acquiring Pinterest would just be the next step in PayPal’s ambition to become a “super app” for all things shopping, finance, and community building — sort of like America’s version of China’s WeChat or Alipay.

Social aspirations
Like every other social platform, Pinterest has been steadily moving into e-commerce. It recently introduced new tools that make creator “pins” shoppable. With the acquisition, PayPal could be central to all of those transactions while also enjoying a new revenue stream with Pinterest’s growing ad business.

Additionally, Pinterest is already planning on making a bigger splash into the crowded creator economy. It plans to launch a $20 million “Creator Rewards” program, debut a vertical video feature, support Amazon Affiliates, and even invest in original content. Are PayPal influencers on the horizon?