Buy now, pay later service Afterpay has announced a partnership with data collaboration platform Narrative I/O to enhance its retail advertising network and keep sensitive financial data secure.
Block, the owner of Afterpay, will integrate the Narrative Anywhere Native App to deliver advertising without compromising the privacy of sensitive financial and transaction data. Block also owns Square and Cash App.
"Our ecosystem at Block gives us an unparalleled view of the modern commerce landscape," said Marni Schapiro, general manager of global advertising and partnerships at Afterpay.
The Afterpay Media Network, which has launched in Australia for select advertisers, uses transaction data from both online and in-store purchases to help brands understand consumer behaviour. The platform runs on Yahoo's advertising technology.
The new partnership will enable Block to build audiences and measure campaign effectiveness while keeping customer data within its own systems. This approach allows for precise targeting and attribution without centralising data across multiple platforms.
"Traditional commerce media models often expose brands to unnecessary privacy risks by moving data into third-party environments," Schapiro said.
"Our work with Narrative eliminates that risk while unlocking sophisticated audience-building capabilities."
The deal reflects increasing demand from advertisers for systems that comply with privacy regulations while maintaining advertising effectiveness.
"By embedding our platform directly into Block's environment, the Afterpay Media Network gains full control over identity logic, data flows, and measurement — all without transferring data externally," said Tim Mahlman, chief executive of Narrative.
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