PayPal is planning to create a new advertising platform using customer transaction data of the firm and its sister app, Venmo. The company intends to utilize purchase details and shopping trends to sell targeted advertisements.
The logo of online payment company PayPal is pictured during LeWeb 2013 event in Saint-Denis near Paris on December 10, 2013. (Photo : ERIC PIERMONT/AFP via Getty Images)
New Advertising Business of Paypal
PayPal's latest business involves tapping into user transaction data and shopping habits to develop a highly targeted ad network. By analyzing users' spending behaviors on PayPal and Venmo, the company aims to offer advertisers valuable insights into consumer preferences and trends.
This move signifies PayPal's ambition to enhance its advertising capabilities and deliver more personalized marketing experiences to its users. Mark Grether, former vice president and general manager at Uber Advertising, has joined PayPal to head its advertising division.
In a statement, Grether emphasized the company's capability to leverage shopping data to identify consumer behaviors and preferences, particularly for online purchases.
He also mentioned that PayPal will access customers' shopping data using its credit cards in physical stores. A PayPal representative told WSJ that the company would automatically gather customer data, although individuals could decline participation.
When asked about the specifics of the data collection, spokesperson Taylor Watson told The Verge that the firm's advertising platform is still in early stages, and conclusive details are not yet available. Watson emphasized PayPal's commitment to integrating clear and user-friendly privacy controls alongside the advertising initiative.
According to the WSJ, PayPal is targeting ads not only to its customers but also to those who don't sell products or services through PayPal. These outside firms could use PayPal data to target buyers with ads that could be displayed on websites or TV sets.
Paypal Leveraging Transaction Data for Targeted Advertising
In its latest financial update, PayPal disclosed processing 6.5 million transactions involving 427 million customers during the initial quarter of 2024. The company asserted its upcoming platform would empower merchants to enhance their sales strategies and connect customers with pertinent products.
According to a Consumer Reports study released in January, Facebook gathers user information from numerous sources, including major retailers such as Walmart and Amazon.
Additionally, JPMorgan Chase has unveiled plans to establish an advertising network utilizing customer spending data, mirroring similar initiatives by Visa. It is worth noting that shopping apps also engage in tracking to record offline purchases, further highlighting the widespread nature of data utilization in advertising strategies.
This marks PayPal's first significant initiative from its new CEO, Alex Chriss, since he assumed the role in September. It aligns with the prevailing trend toward AI adoption and is seen as a strategic effort to capture investor interest, coinciding with the recent surge in US stock market performance driven by enthusiasm for AI technology.
Accompanying these fresh AI-powered functionalities is PayPal's Fastlane, a streamlined guest checkout option designed for businesses utilizing PayPal's platform.
This feature purportedly enables consumers to complete purchases with a single click, eliminating the need to manually enter credit card details, usernames, passwords, or personal information for updates across various online platforms. As a result, transactions are expected to be faster and more seamless.
