Mastercard launches Commerce Media Network for targeted advertising

New Delhi: To capture a slice of the booming retail media market, Mastercard has unveiled Mastercard Commerce Media, a new digital media network aimed at delivering personalised ads and offers. 

Announced on October 1, 2025, Mastercard Commerce Media builds on the company's existing offers and promotions platform, which already connects 25,000 advertisers with over 500 million enrolled cardholders.

By analysing insights from more than 160 billion transactions processed in 2024, the network enables brands to target audiences based on real purchase behaviours, such as spending patterns in retail, travel, entertainment, dining, and everyday categories. 

Mastercard claims this approach can deliver up to a 22-times return on ad spend (ROAS) for advertisers in these verticals, far surpassing traditional advertising methods.

The network operates across Mastercard's owned channels, as well as through partnerships with banks, airlines, retailers, and other publishers. Key collaborators include Citi for scaling impact, WPP for extending reach into traditional media, American Airlines, and Microsoft, which will integrate the network into its Copilot Studio for real-time commerce experiences. 

Unlike competitors such as Google or Meta, which rely on their own audience networks, Mastercard's strength lies in its cross-channel transaction data, offering a broader view of consumer spending that isn't limited to a single retailer's ecosystem.

At its core, the platform uses proprietary card-linking technology to attribute conversions directly to ads, whether purchases occur in-store or online. Advertisers can deliver tailored content like cashback offers, discounts, or incentives, while publishers benefit from revenue generation and enhanced consumer engagement through relevant promotions.