Mastercard introduced a new service that will allow companies to place personalized ads based on the transactional data of more than 500 million consumers worldwide.
Mastercard launched its own digital media network, Mastercard Commerce Media, which connects advertisers, publishers, and consumers. The service leverages data from over 160 billion transactions processed in 2024 to deliver the most relevant content.
According to the announcement, the platform offers an efficiency level of up to 22-times return on ad spend (ROAS) for partners in retail, travel, entertainment, hospitality, and other industries. The service’s database already includes 25,000 advertisers, with a potential reach of half a billion users.
The new Mastercard tool ensures unique targeting precision — ads are tailored based on purchase history and real consumer behavior signals. Companies gain access to transparent analytics, can measure ROI, and are assured of secure ad placement channels, since only authorized data is used.
To strengthen the ecosystem, Mastercard entered into a number of strategic partnerships:
- Citi helps scale reach and amplify network impact;
- collaboration with WPP provides access to brands and customers in traditional media;
- an alliance with American Airlines expands promotional opportunities in the travel sector;
- a partnership with Microsoft focuses on integrating AI into Copilot Studio to reimagine real-time shopping experiences.
According to eMarketer, cited in the press release, the retail media market will reach nearly $100 billion by 2028. However, advertisers today often face a lack of consumer preference data and opaque performance measurement. Mastercard’s solution addresses these issues with a global network, a unified attribution system, and innovative card-linking technology that accounts for both online and offline purchases.
Mastercard is also actively developing FinTech solutions, particularly in digital assets. For example, in May 2025, the company enabled the issuance of payment cards linked to stablecoins.
