Patent Publication Number: US-2015081435-A1

Title: Targeted Advertisement Delivery

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a targeted advertisement delivery system, and more particularly to improved systems and methods for the dynamic control of personalized ads to online users and devices based on historical behavior. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, advertisers pay for advertising placement through a media placement agency, such as a third party advertising delivery platform. The advertising delivery platform determines and delivers personalized and targeted advertising content to users and devices, based on targeting parameters such as specified ad placement positioning and duration/timing. Advertisers are typically compensated based on the number and type of placements of the ad content and potentially the response rates of the customers measured by click-through rates. In some cases, the advertisers can track the customer all the way through to purchase (primarily online only). If the customer decides to compare and purchase the same product or service through another company, advertisers are still responsible for the advertising placements that the customer(s) may never respond to since they have already completed the purchase with an alternate retailer (merchant). This is particularly relevant to significant and infrequent purchases, such as package holidays and insurance. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0035278 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0288312 discuss systems that enable a particular retailer to match offline transactions with an online advertisement, to track and monitor the effectiveness of their targeted ads. 
     What is desired is a system and method for enabling optimization of the advertising spend for those advertisers who may not be aware when the customer has fulfilled their purchase with an alternative advertiser offline or through another online channel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for controlling targeted advertising content for presentation to a consumer. The system comprises a user profile module generating a user profile associated with a consumer, the user profile including a plurality of targeting parameters. The personalized offers system transmits the user profile to at least one advertising delivery platform configured to determine online advertising content relating to a product sold by a retailer that is to be displayed to the consumer, based on the targeting parameters of the user profile. The system is configured to receive and store transaction data identifying attributes of a plurality of past purchases by a consumer at a respective plurality of different retailers, wherein the transaction data includes data identifying attributes of a purchase transaction by the consumer for the product or a similar product. The system further includes a profile updater configured to update the user profile with at least one targeting parameter identifying characteristics of the purchased product. The system is further configured to transmit the updated user profile to the at least one advertising delivery platform, whereby the advertising deliver platform is configured to exclude online advertising content relating to the purchased product that is to be displayed to the consumer, based on the at least one targeting parameter in the updated user profile. 
     In another aspect, the present invention provides a targeted advertisement delivery platform comprising a registered user database configured to receive a user profile associated with a consumer. The user profile includes a plurality of targeting parameters. The system also includes a targeted ad determiner configured to determine online advertising content relating to a product sold by a retailer that is to be displayed to the consumer based on the user profile parameters. The registered user database is further configured to receive an updated user profile including at least one targeting parameter identifying characteristics of a purchase transaction by the consumer for the product or a similar product purchased at a different retailer. Further, the targeted ad determiner is configured to exclude online advertising content relating to the purchased product that is to be displayed to the consumer, based on the at least one targeting parameter in the updated user profile. 
     In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a computer-implemented method controlling delivery of targeted advertisements. The method comprises generating a user profile associated with a consumer, the user profile including a plurality of targeting parameters. The user profile is transmitted to at least one advertising delivery platform configured to determine online advertising content relating to a product sold by a retailer that is to be displayed to the consumer, based on the user profile parameters. The method also includes receiving and storing transaction data identifying attributes of a plurality of past purchases by a consumer at a respective plurality of different retailers, wherein the transaction data includes data identifying attributes of a purchase transaction by the consumer for the product or a similar product. The user profile is updated with at least one targeting parameter identifying characteristics of the purchased product, and the updated user profile is transmitted to the at least one advertising delivery platform, whereby the advertising deliver platform is configured to exclude online advertising content relating to the purchased product that is to be displayed to the consumer, based on the at least one parameter in the updated user profile. 
     In a further aspect, the present invention provides a computer-implemented method controlling delivery of targeted advertisements. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a user profile associated with a consumer, the user profile including a plurality of targeting parameters; determining online advertising content relating to a product sold by a retailer that is to be displayed to the consumer based on the user profile parameters; receiving an updated user profile including at least one targeting parameter identifying characteristics of a purchase transaction by the consumer for the product or a similar product purchased at a different retailer; and excluding online advertising content relating to the purchased product that is to be displayed to the consumer, based on the at least one targeting parameter in the updated user profile. 
     In other aspects, there is provided a computer program arranged to carry out the method when executed by suitable programmable devices, and a non-transitory storage medium comprising said computer program. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       There now follows, by way of example only, a detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, with references to the following figures identified below: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the main components of an advertising delivery platform in a payment transaction environment, according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2 , which comprises  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , is a flow diagram illustrating the main processing steps performed by components of the payment transaction environment of  FIG. 1  for a process of controlling delivery of targeted advertisements according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating the main processing steps performed by a digital advertising platform for a process of updating user profiles according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating the main processing steps performed by the advertising delivery platform of  FIG. 1  for a process of delivering targeted ads according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram of an example of a computer system on which one or more of the functions of the embodiment may be implemented. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described for a process of dynamically controlling delivery of targeted ads (advertisements) based on customer&#39;s historical payment transaction data. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a payment transaction environment  1  according to an embodiment comprises one or more payment processing platforms  3  associated with respective payment account issuers. The payment processing platforms  3  facilitate the processing and completion of payment transactions between customers and merchants or retailers for the purchase of goods or services. The payment transactions may take place over any one of a number of channels (for example, in a store or via a data network  5 , such as the Internet), and transaction settlement may involve routing of messages between components of the payment transaction environment  1 , such as merchant acquirers  7  via associated payment scheme networks  9 , as typically provided in conventional card payment systems. 
     For example, customers pay for goods and services by presenting payment tokens  11 , such as credit or debit cards associated with respective payment accounts provided by the payment issuers, to a merchant system  13 . As another example, the payment transaction is initiated via user (customer) devices  15  in electronic communication with respective interfaces, modules or components (not illustrated) of the merchant systems  13 , such as a point of sale terminal and contactless/Near Field Communication (NFC) or conventional card reader, or a payment processing module of an online e-commerce website or hosted online payment service provider via the Internet  5 . 
     As will be described below in greater detail, the payment transaction environment  1  also includes one or more advertising delivery platforms  17  that interact with the user device  15  to deliver targeted (personalized) ad content  19  from a respective database  21  to the associated user via a content delivery module  23 . The ad content  19  can include a plurality of media content items that can be displayed by the user device  15 , for example as an embedded advertisement in a web page. Each media content item is associated with metadata  22  identifying, for example, an associated merchant, product or product category, purchase cost or price range, discount rate, etc. Typically, one or more third party web servers  25  receive requests through the data network  5  from the user device  15  for one or more hosted web pages. The web pages can include code for embedding ad content  19  retrieved from an identified advertising delivery platform  17 . The web servers  25  may also interact with an advertising delivery platform  17  to retrieve ad content  19  for requested web pages. The merchant systems  13  may also include respective web servers (not shown) hosting web pages for associated e-commerce websites. 
     The requested web pages are routed back to the user device  15  and displayed to the user via a web browser  27 . The web browser  27  has access to a web objects database  29  storing web objects, such as cookies and digital objects  31  (such as flash objects) received from the web servers  25 . The web browser  27  can also interact with the web objects database  29  to transmit the cookies and digital objects  31  back to the web servers  25  when a web page associated with the cookie or digital object  31  is requested. In another embodiment, a content delivery application (not shown) on the user device  15  can be used to interact with the web servers  25  and/or advertising delivery platform  17  to deliver targeted content to the user. 
     The advertising delivery platform  17  includes a targeted ad determiner  33  that determines ad content  19  relevant and/or beneficial to a user identified by a unique user ID  61 , based on targeting parameters  35   a  stored in a user advertising profile  37   a  for the identified user. Examples of targeting parameters include but are not limited to: previous transactions by retailer, Merchant Category Code (MCC), location/date/time, servicing behavior (e.g. online, mobile, direct mail, etc.), demographics—(e.g. age, sex, marital status, children, preferences such as travel, food &amp; drink, holidays, clothing, etc.). In this embodiment, the user advertising profiles  37   a  are received from a personalized offers system  36  that stores user data  39  for a plurality of registered users in a registered users database  40 . The user data  39  is associated with respective unique user IDs  61 , and includes user details  41 , user profiles  37   b  and historical payment transaction data  43  associated with the registered users. Alternatively or additionally, the advertising delivery platform  17  can interact with the user device  15 , the merchant systems  13 , and/or the third party web servers  25  to receive data and update the targeting parameters  35   a  of the stored user advertising profiles  37   a . The personalized offers system  36  interacts with die advertising delivery platform  17  over the data network  5  via a network interface  48 . 
     A profile updater  53  of a digital advertising platform  51  maintains and updates the user profiles  37   b , for example updating the targeting parameters  35   b  for the user profiles  37   b  based on characteristics and behaviors of the associated user identified from changes to the user details  41  and/or the historical payment transaction data  43  stored in the registered users database  40 . The profile updater  53  can also take into account data from cookies and/or digital objects  31  received from the web browser  27  of the user device  15 , in response to interactions with web pages transmitted to the user device  15  via the web server module  47 . The personalized offers system  36  also includes a personalized offers delivery module  55  that determines personalized offers (such as digital coupons, vouchers, incentives, reward, or the like) for the user based on the user profile, and interacts with the user device  15  to deliver the personalized offers via the data network  5 , whereby the personalized offer can be confirmed and applied to a purchase transaction, or output by the user device  15  for redemption at an associated merchant. 
     A registration module  45  of the personalized offers system  36  interacts with the user device  15  to receive and store the user details  41  for a new registered user, via one or more web pages stored and transmitted to the user device  15  by a web server module  47 . A user profiler module  46  generates a user profile  37   b  for the registered user, based on user details  41  received during the registration process. After successful registration, the personalized offers system  36  also generates a digital object  31  for the registered user and user device  15 , including a token  57  storing data identifying links  59  (addresses) to the digital advertising platform  51  and the advertising delivery platform  17 , and a unique user/device identifier  61 . The personalized offers system  36  interacts with the user device  15  to transmit the generated digital object  31  over the data network  5 , to store the digital object  31  in the web objects database  29  of the user device  15 . The web browser  27  of the user device  15  updates the stored digital object  31  with data identifying user activity in response to web browser interactions, and transmits the updated digital object  31  back to the digital advertising platform  51 . The web browser  27  can be configured to monitor user activity via an installed plug-in component or the like, as is known in the art. 
     In an embodiment, the registered users&#39; historical payment transaction data  43  include details of the respective user&#39;s payment transactions with different merchants via one or more payment processing platforms  3  associated with respective payment issuers, the details being received via a transaction data importer module  49 . In an alternative embodiment, the personalized offers system  36  forms part of a payment processing platform  3  that processes payment transactions for the registered users and stores details of the processed transactions directly in the registered users database  40 . In yet a further alternative embodiment, the digital advertising platform  51  itself forms part of a payment processing platform  3  and interacts details of processed transactions of users registered with the associated payment issuer, to update targeting parameters of user profiles stored by the payment processing platform  3 . 
     The user device  15  can be any suitable computing device for facilitating a payment transaction with the merchant systems  11 , such as a mobile smartphone, tablet computer, personal computer, etc. that includes software and/or hardware components, such as a web browser and/or mobile wallet (not illustrated), to communicate with the merchant systems  13 , via a direct communication path, such as a wired, a Bluetooth®, NFC, infrared data connection, or the like, or via one or more suitable data communication networks  5  such as a wireless network, a local- or wide-area network including a corporate intranet or the Internet, using for example the TCP/IP protocol, or a cellular communication network such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), CDMA2000, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPTA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. 
     A brief description has been given above of the components forming part of the payment transaction processing system  3  of this embodiment. A more detailed description of the operation of these components in this embodiment will now be given with reference to the flow diagram of  FIG. 2 . The flow diagram describes a computer-implemented process of controlling delivery of targeted ads to a user device, using the digital advertising platform  51  and the advertising delivery platform  17 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the process begins with registration of the user and/or the device with the personalized offers platform  35 , if the user is not already a registered user of the personalized offers service provided by the personalized offers system  36 , having associated user data  39  stored in the registered user database  40 . The registration process is a typical secure registration process, via the web browser  27  on the user device  15 , interacting with the registration module  45  of the personalized offers system  36 , via the web server module  47  and the data network  5 . Accordingly, at step S 2 - 1 , the user device  15  receives user details to register with the personalized offers service, in response to interaction with a received registration web page from the web server module  47 , and transmits the received user details to the personalized offers system  36 . The user details can include the user&#39;s name, postal address, email address, registered username, password/passcode, associated user device  15  identification data, etc. At step S 2 - 3 , the user details for the new registration are received by the registration module  45  of the personalized offers system  36 . At step S 2 - 5 , the registration module  45  generates and stores user data  39  defining a new user account in the registered users database  40 , the registered user data  39  including the user details  41  received from the user device  15 . A unique user/device identifier is also generated for the new registered user and stored with the user details  41 . 
     At step S 2 - 7 , the registration module  45  generates a new user profile  37   b  associated with the new user account, and stores the user profile in the registered users database  40 . The user profile  37   b  includes data defining targeting parameters  35   b  associated with the registered user. The targeting parameters  35   b  are generated by a profiler module  46 , based on predefined rules that match the initial user details  41  provided in the registration process with one or more defined targeting parameters indicative of characteristics of the user and/or user behavior. 
     After the new user is registered, the personalized offers system  36  generates, at step S 2 - 9 , a digital object  31  for the user device  15 , including the unique user/device identifier  61  associated with the registered user details  41 . The digital object  31  can also include a token  57  with data identifying links to the digital advertising platform  51  of the personalized offers system  36 , and to one or more advertising delivery platforms  17 . At step S 2 - 11 , the personalized offers system  36  transmits the generated digital object  31  to the user device  15 , for example via the data network  5  using the web server module  47 . At step S 2 - 13 , the digital object  31  is stored in the web objects database  29  of the user device  15 . 
     In an alternative embodiment mentioned above, the personalized offers system  36  is provided as a component of, or is associated with, a payment processing platform of a financial institution. In this case, the user may be an existing registered customer of the financial institution and may not need to register for the personalized offers service. Moreover, the personalized offers system  36  in such an alternative embodiment will have access to existing user data  39  of the registered customers, including data identifying historical payment transactions processed by the payment processing platform for the customer. 
     At step S 2 - 15 , the personalized offers system  36  interacts with the advertising delivery platform  17  to send the user profile  37   b  for the new registered user, via the data network  5 . At step S 2 - 17 , the advertising delivery platform  17  stores the received user profile  37   b , including the associated targeting parameters  35   b , as a targeted ad profile  37   a  for the user, in the local database  21 . As will be described below, the targeted ad profile  37   a  is used by the advertising delivery platform  17  to determine and deliver targeted ad content  19  to the user device  15 . 
     At step S 2 - 19 , the personalized offers system  36  transmits data to the user device  15  confirming successful registration with the personalized offers service. At step S 2 - 21 , the offers delivery module  55  determines an initial selection of personalized offers (such as digital coupons, vouchers, incentives, reward, or the like) to the user device  15 , for example by matching one or more of the targeting parameters  35   a  of the user&#39;s targeted ad profile  37   a  with characteristics of the ad content  19  stored in the database  21 . The personalized offers system  36  interacts with the user device  15  to transmit and deliver the determined selection of personalized offers to the user. 
     At step S 2 - 23 , the personalized offers are displayed by the user device  15 , for example by the web browser  27 . The personalized offers can be displayed as a web page including a plurality of links for the user to request details of, or to proceed with a process to redeem, one or more of the personalized offers. Accordingly, at step S 2 - 25 , the user device  15  receives a user selection of a link for a personalized offer. At step S 2 - 27 , the web browser  27  of the user device  15  updates the digital object  31  stored in the web objects database  29 , with data indicative of the user&#39;s selected personalized offer. The web browser  27  also interacts with the personalized offers system  36  to transmit the updated digital object  31  to the digital advertising platform  51 . At step S 2 - 29 , the digital advertising platform  51  of the personalized offers system  36  updates the stored user profile  37   b  based on the received data indicative of the selected personalized offer. At step S 2 - 31 , the profile updater  53  updates the targeting parameters  35   b  of the user profile  37   b  if necessary. 
     Although not illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a selected and redeemed personalized offer can be confirmed by the user and applied to a purchase transaction, or output by the user device  15  for redemption at an associated merchant. 
     Subsequently, or in parallel with interaction with the displayed personalized offers, the user may interact with the web browser  27  to request one or more web pages from third party web servers  25 , the web pages including one or more embedded advertisements targeting the user. Accordingly, at step S 2 - 33 , illustrated following a dashed line in  FIG. 2   b , the user device  15  retrieves a web page including code to retrieve an embedded targeted ad. The code for embedding ad content to a web page is of a type that is commonly known to those skilled in the art, and need not be described further. At step S 2 - 35 , the code is processed by the web browser  27  to retrieve one or more targeted ads, for example from an advertising delivery platform  17  identified in the code or from the link  59  in the token  57  of the digital object  31  stored in the web objects database  29 . The advertising delivery platform  17  receives a request to deliver a targeted ad for the user, and determines and delivers a targeted ad at step S 2 - 37 , as will be described in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 4 . At step S 2 - 39 , the web browser  27  displays the retrieved web page and the embedded targeted ad content received from the advertising delivery platform  17 . 
     The web browser  27  can also update the digital object  31  in response to user interaction with the displayed targeted ad content, for example in response to user selecting a link associated with the displayed targeted ad content. Additionally, the web browser  27  can update the digital object  31  in response to general user search queries for a particular product or merchant, or a specific user search query at a particular merchant website. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a more detailed description of the operation of the digital advertising platform  51  of the personalized offers system  36  and the advertising delivery platform  17  in this embodiment is provided for an examplary computer-implemented process of updating a stored user profile  37   b  based on data identifying a processed payment transaction for the user. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the update process begins at step S 3 - 1  where the digital advertising platform  51  receives data identifying a payment transaction by a registered user that has been processed by a payment processing platform  3 . The payment transaction may be associated with an online or offline purchase by the user at any particular merchant website or store. As discussed above, the processed payment transaction data may be received by a transaction data importer module  49  and may be stored as historical payment transaction data  43  in the registered users database  40 . 
     The payment transaction data  43  typically includes a number of data elements associated with a purchased product or service at a particular merchant, for example: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Transaction 
                   
                 Merchant 
                   
                   
               
               
                 ID 
                 Date/Time 
                 ID 
                 Total 
                 Payment Token ID 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 10000001 
                 2013-08-01 
                 Retailer A 
                 99.99 
                 1111-2222- 
               
               
                   
                 12:30:01 
                   
                   
                 3333-4444 
               
               
                 10000002 
                 2013-08-02 
                 Retailer B 
                 12.99 
                 1111-2222- 
               
               
                   
                 17:01:32 
                   
                   
                 3333-4444 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     At step S 3 - 3 , the profile updater  53  identifies characteristics of the purchased good(s) and/or service(s) associated with the processed payment transaction from data elements in the received payment transaction data. For example, the profile updater  53  determines a retailer category associated with the payment transaction, based on a predefined list mapping known merchant IDs to respective retailer categories. As another example, the profile updater  53  determines a price range characteristic based on the identified transaction amount. 
     Referring to the example payment transactions set out above, the profile updater  53  may identify the following characteristics for each purchase transaction: 
                                     Transaction ID   Retailer Category   Price Range                  10000001   Electronics   Medium       10000002   Phone Insurance   Low       10000003   Home insurance   High       10000004   Holidays   Medium                    
Other exemplary types of identified characteristics include channel of purchase (e.g. online or offline), recency and frequency of previous similar purchases, detected smaller payments for associated administrative events, such as an automobile registration check (e.g. an HPI check) during a second hand car purchase, and/or a deposit to indicate commitment to purchase the car.
 
     At step S 3 - 5 , the profile updater  53  retrieves the stored user profile  37   b  of the registered user associated with the payment transaction, and updates the targeting parameters  35   b  of the user profile  37   b  at step S 3 - 7 , with data identifying the processed purchases by the associated user, for example defined by the identified characteristics of the purchased goods and/or services. In an alternative embodiment, the payment transaction data may also include one or more data elements that uniquely identify a specific product and/or service, such as a stock-keeping unit (SKU) captured from the product by a merchant POS at the time of purchase, in order to more precisely match offers and targeted ads to the associated user. The profile updater  53  may also update other targeting parameters  35   b  of the user profile  37   b  based on the processed payment transaction data, such as the card type (credit/debt/scheme), location, amount and retailer category (e.g. MCC code). 
     At step S 3 - 9 , the digital advertising platform  51  transmits the updated user profile  37   b  to the advertising delivery platform  17 . At step S 3 - 11 , the advertising delivery platform  17  stores the received updated user profile  37   b  as an updated user advertising profile  37   a , including the data identifying past purchases by the associated user stored in the updated targeting parameters  35   a.    
     In an alternative embodiment, the profile updater  53  can be configured to process batches of stored historical payment transaction data  43  to update the targeting parameters  35   b  of affected user profiles  37   b  at predetermined time intervals. 
     The process of delivering a targeted ad in step S 2 - 37  above will now be described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 4 , which shows the computer-implemented steps carried out by the advertising delivery platform  17 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , at step S 4 - 1 , the advertising delivery platform  17  receives a request for a targeted ad, including data identifying a requesting user (and/or user device  15 ). For example, the advertising delivery platform  17  receives a copy of the stored digital object  31  from the user device  15 , including the user ID  61 . 
     At step S 4 - 3 , the targeted ad determiner  33  retrieves the stored user advertising profile  37   a  for the identified user, and identifies the one or more targeting parameters  35   a  from the retrieved ad profile  37   a  at step S 4 - 5 . At step S 4 - 7 , the targeted ad determiner  33  determines a candidate media content item from the stored ad content  19  in the database  21  having metadata  22  that matches at least one of the identified targeting parameters  35   a  from the retrieved ad profile  37   a . The matching process can be carried out according to a predefined algorithm or set of rules to determine a candidate ad content item  19 . 
     For example, the ad content  19  stored in the database  21  of the application delivery platform  17  might include the following media content items and associated metadata  22 : 
                                        Targeting Metadata                             Media Content Item Specification       Retail                                                 Content   Dimen-   Display   Duration/   Gen-       Cate-   Price       Item ID   sions   Position   Timing   der   Age   gory   Range               Banner-   800 ×   Top   Expires   Male   18-35   Elec-   Medium       001   200       2013           tronics                   Dec. 31                    
Consequently, the targeted ad determiner  33  may identify Banner-001 as a candidate match for an ad profile  37   a  with targeting parameters  35   a  identifying the user as a male, aged 30.
 
     At step S 4 - 9 , the targeted ad determiner  33  determines if the candidate ad content item is to be excluded from display to the identified user. In this embodiment, the targeted ad determiner  33  compares the targeting metadata  22  of the candidate ad content item with the data identifying the processed purchases by the associated user, for example, defined by the identified characteristics of the purchased goods and/or services that was determined by the digital advertising platform  51  at step S 3 - 7 . In the example discussed above, the profile updater  53  identified the following characteristics for a historical purchase transaction: 
                                     Transaction ID   Retailer Category   Price Range                  10000001   Electronics   Medium                    
Consequently, the targeted ad determiner  33  will determine that at least one of the targeting metadata elements matches a previous purchase transaction by the identified user (in this particular example, both the retailer category and the price range data elements match). Therefore, at step S 4 - 9 , the targeted ad determiner  33  determines that the identified ad content item is to be excluded from display to the identified user, because that user has purchased the same item or a similar item based on the matching characteristics. Processing returns to step S 4 - 7  where the targeted ad determiner  33  determines another candidate targeted ad for the user.
 
     On the other hand, if at step S 4 - 9 , the targeted ad determiner  33  determines that the metadata  22  associated with the candidate ad content item does not match any previous purchased transactions by the user, then at step S 4 - 11 , the content delivery module  23  transmits the identified targeted ad content  19  back to the requesting user device  15  (or web server  25 ). 
     In an alternative embodiment, the targeted ad determiner  33  may determine that a candidate targeted ad is to be excluded from display to the user if the targeting parameters  35   a  identify a matching prior purchase transaction that was processed within a predefined time window, such as within the past month. 
     A number of advantages will be understood from the above description of the embodiments of the present invention. 
     In particular, a system is provided that links a spend-linked digital offers platform, with a third party online advertising provider with the customer&#39;s digital device. The system expands the capabilities of the targeted advertising benefiting companies that have shifted a majority of ad spend to digital. In addition, the system increases the relevance of ads targeted to customers who subscribe to the digital offers product while shopping on 3rd party web sites. 
     Additionally, the system links the delivery of advertising content to customers spend across multiple retailers and channels. For example, if a customer has been viewing advertising for a one product but purchases a similar product from another brand or from another vendor, the system can identify this purchase through payment activity (issuing &amp; acquiring). Once the payment activity has been confirmed, the advertising can cease. This allows advertisers to be more efficient with their advertising spend and not target customers for products or services that they no longer need. 
     The personalized offers system, advertising delivery platform, and user device described herein may be implemented by one or more computer systems such as a computer system  1000  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as programmable code for execution by such computer systems  1000 . After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the art how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or computer architectures. 
     The computer system  1000  includes one or more processors  1004 . The processor  1004  may be any type of processor, including but not limited to a special purpose or a general-purpose digital signal processor. The processor  1004  is connected to a communication infrastructure  1006  (for example, a bus or network). Various software implementations are described in terms of this exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the art how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or computer architectures. 
     The computer system  1000  also includes a user input interface  1003  connected to one or more input device(s)  1005  and a display interface  1007  connected to one or more display(s)  1009 . The input devices  1005  may include a pointing device such as a mouse or touchpad, a keyboard, a touchscreen such as a resistive or capacitive touchscreen, etc. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the art how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or computer architectures, for example using mobile electronic devices with integrated input and display components. 
     The computer system  1000  also includes a main memory  1008 , preferably random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory  610 . The secondary memory  1010  may include a hard disk drive  1012  and/or a removable storage drive  1014 , representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc. . . . The removable storage drive  1014  reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit  1018  in a well-known manner. The removable storage unit  1018  represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc. . . . , which is read by and written to by the removable storage drive  1014 . As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit  1018  includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data. 
     In alternative implementations, the secondary memory  1010  may include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system  1000 . Such means may include, for example, a removable storage unit  1022  and an interface  1020 . Examples of such means may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that previously found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM, or flash memory) and associated socket, and other removable storage units  1022  and interfaces  1020  which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit  1022  to the computer system  1000 . Alternatively, the program may be executed and/or the data accessed from the removable storage unit  1022 , using the processor  1004  of the computer system  1000 . 
     The computer system  1000  may also include a communication interface  1024 . The communication interface  1024  allows software and data to be transferred between the computer system  1000  and external devices. Examples of the communication interface  1024  may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communication port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc. . . . Software and data transferred via a communication interface  1024  are in the form of signals  1028 , which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being received by the communication interface  1024 . These signals  1028  are provided to the communication interface  1024  via a communication path  1026 . The communication path  1026  carries signals  1028  and may be implemented using wire or cable, fibre optics, a phone line, a wireless link, a cellular phone link, a radio frequency link, or any other suitable communication channel. For instance, the communication path  1026  may be implemented using a combination of channels. 
     The terms “computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used generally to refer to media such as the removable storage drive  1014 , a hard disk installed in a hard disk drive  1012 , and signals  1028 . These computer program products are means for providing software to the computer system  1000 . However, these terms may also include signals (such as electrical, optical or electromagnetic signals) that embody the computer program disclosed herein. 
     Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored in the main memory  1008  and/or the secondary memory  1010 . Computer programs may also be received via the communication interface  1024 . Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system  1000  to implement embodiments of the present invention as discussed herein. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system  1000 . Where the embodiment is implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product  1030  and loaded into the computer system  1000  using the removable storage drive  1014 , the hard disk drive  1012 , or the communication interface  1024 , to provide some examples. 
     Alternative embodiments may be implemented as control logic in hardware, firmware, or software or any combination thereof. 
     It will be understood that embodiments of the present invention are described herein by way of example only, and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     For example, in embodiments described above, a database of registered users is maintained, storing data including user details and user profiles, associated with respective unique user IDs. It will be appreciated additionally or alternatively, the database can store data associated with one or more registered user devices identified by unique machine identifiers and/or network address identifiers, and generate and maintain profiles based on identified activity and behaviors attributed with the registered user device. 
     In embodiments described above, user profile data is maintained by a personalized offers system and provided to an advertising delivery platform, to dynamically control selection and presentation of online advertising content to the respective user. It will be appreciated that instead of a personalized offers system managing the user profiles, a payment processing platform can instead be configured to carry out all of the user profile management aspects as described above, and to transmit updated user profile data to the one or more advertising delivery platforms.