SAN JOSE, CA — PayPal has tapped Edelman to lead global product PR, as well as US communications as it looks to position itself as the leader in the "transformation of the financial system," the Holmes Report can reveal. 

PayPal's global head of product communications Anuj Nayer told us that Edelman has been selected for a 60-day scope of work to ease the transition. (He previously told us "We have not made a final decision but are giving one of the agencies a 60 day trial" but called to amend the statement after the story published.) A spokesperson at Edelman declined to comment. 

According to multiple sources familiar with the review, Edelman was awarded the business following a two-day pitch earlier this week. Last summer, PayPal consolidated international PR duties covering EMEA and Asia-Pacific with Edelman. It is understood the other agencies who pitched included Omnicom's AccessEmanate, MDC's Allison & Partners, Huntsworth's Grayling, WPP's Ogilvy/Cohn & Wolfe and Next 15's Text 100.

The incumbent, MSLGroup, is expected to continue working with PayPal in Latin America and Canada. PayPal, which split from parent company eBay last year, underwent changes in its corporate communications team last year when VP of global communications Christina Smedley left to take a senior post at Facebook. The global communications function now reports to Franz Paasche, PayPal’s vice president of corporate affairs and communications. (Edelman is also eBay's longtime PR agency). 

The global product RFP (which is in the seven-figures) included other PayPal brands: Venmo, Braintree, Paydiant and Xoom. The US remit is deemed "non-product and non-corporate communications" or as explained by a PayPal spokesperson "think campaigns that support our go to market strategy for merchants and consumers for example."

When talking about the review earlier this year, Nayer said "As we showed in our ‘New Money’ global brand campaign that launched at this year’s Super Bowl, we’re entering the greatest period of transformation in the history of the financial system. As we embark on this mission, we have decided to reevaluate our agency relationships for product communications."