PayPal rolls out Transaction Graph to give advertisers a clearer view of what drives sales
The payments group says its new insights and measurement programme links real purchase data across millions of merchants, offering brands an alternative to cookie-based attribution and walled-garden advertising metrics.
PayPal has launched Transaction Graph Insights & Measurement, a programme designed to give merchants and advertisers a cross-merchant view of shopper behaviour and campaign performance, built directly on PayPal’s transaction data.
The company said the programme draws on its transaction graph to surface consumer trends and measure advertising outcomes across what it describes as search, shop and share signals. The graph connects activity across more than 430 million consumer accounts and tens of millions of merchants, giving PayPal a dataset that spans payment, commerce and engagement rather than a single platform or channel.
At the core of the launch are three products. Transaction Graph Insights offers an interactive analytics experience that allows brands to explore shopper behaviour and spending patterns. Transaction Graph Measurement is a first-party measurement suite based on deterministic identity, aimed at showing whether advertising campaigns lead to verified purchases rather than inferred outcomes. PayPal has also introduced a Measurement Partnership Program, enabling independent campaign validation through certified partners including AppsFlyer, Cint, Experian, iSpot, Kantar, Kochava and LiveRamp.
Mark Grether, senior vice-president and general manager of PayPal Ads, positioned the programme as a response to changes in how people shop and how advertising is measured. “The era of the empowered shopper demands advertising solutions built on real commerce data, not modelled intent,” he said. Grether argued that, unlike walled-garden platforms that only see activity within their own ecosystems, PayPal’s transaction graph links verified purchases across a wide range of merchants, allowing advertisers to assess which campaigns drive actual sales rather than clicks or impressions.
PayPal said the system also combines transaction data with signals from shopping, search and sharing activity across its brands, with the aim of giving advertisers a fuller picture of how consumers move from discovery to purchase.
The company cited early results from advertisers using the product. PayPal said Ulta Beauty recorded a 20% increase in transaction spend via PayPal during a campaign measured through the graph and saw brand favourability running 136% above the Lucid benchmark. Monica Austin, chief marketing officer at Blizzard Entertainment, said the insights showed clear potential. “The ability to leverage commerce intelligence across game releases, performance media, and attribution measurement aligns perfectly with how we think about continually improving player engagement,” she said.
Advertisers can access Transaction Graph Insights & Measurement immediately for US-based programmes, with launches in the UK and Germany planned. PayPal said brands can request personalised demonstrations and find details of certified measurement partners through its advertiser and newsroom sites.The Recap
- PayPal launched Transaction Graph Insights and Measurement for advertisers.
- Connects activity across 430 million consumer accounts and merchants.
- Available immediately for US programs; United Kingdom and Germany follow.
