PayPal has launched a new ad programme designed to provide a “cross-platform view” of purchasing behaviour that goes beyond just clicks from a single retailer.

The company said that thanks to the new tool, brands can more easily identify highly motivated buyers before they convert elsewhere, understand the actual market share of the category, and measure actual sales growth rather than modelled estimates.

PayPal said that the new system allows a consumer searching for a product for a specific event to track the entire journey, from the initial price comparison on a major marketplace and asking an AI assistant for advice, to reading reviews on a social platform, paying a friend on Venmo, and purchasing equipment via PayPal.

“Traditional platforms see pieces of this journey while PayPal sees the complete picture,” PayPal explained.

Retailers such as Ulta Beauty have already used PayPal’s new tool to reach an audience highly interested in the beauty sector on the premium web, recording a 20 per cent increase in spending on transactions via PayPal during the campaign, PayPal said.

Mark Grether, senior vice president and general manager of PayPal Ads, said the move aims to offer solutions based on real commercial data, with the company’s new system able to verify purchases made at tens of millions of merchants.

“This means you can see which campaigns actually drive sales, not just clicks or impressions - combine this with signals from Shop, Search, and Sharing activities across all PayPal brands, we can help advertisers drive meaningful business outcomes—regardless of their budget or scale,” he said.

In April last year, the business introduced its advertising platform PayPal Ads in the UK, aiming to enhance commerce media opportunities for brands and merchants.

Initially launched in the US in 2024, the platform aims to help businesses grow by leveraging PayPal’s vast user base and data insights.

It enables targeted advertising, delivering personalised ads to potential customers based on their purchase history. These ads can appear across PayPal, Venmo, and PayPal Honey, maximising visibility.

Additionally, the platform provides purchase intent and transaction data, allowing brands to create dynamic advertising messages and full-funnel campaigns to drive growth.

Businesses can also gain access to performance insights, enabling them to measure campaign effectiveness, return on investment (ROI), and overall market impact.

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