First-party data
First-party data
E-commerce
First-party data is data you collect directly from your own customers and channels, like orders, site visits, email clicks and support conversations.
What is First-party data?
First-party data is yours: gathered on your store, in your emails and texts, and through your apps. It's more accurate than bought third-party data and doesn't depend on ad platforms.
Examples: order history, products viewed, email clicks, subscription status, loyalty points, support tickets.
Its value grows when it's joined up. In Chargezen, subscriptions, loyalty and messaging share one customer record, so a SmartyTap segment can use all of them together.
Example
A store targets "bought twice, viewed the new collection this week, has an active subscription" using only its own data.
Why First-party data Matters
It keeps your marketing working as browsers block third-party cookies and ad tracking gets weaker.
First-party data FAQ
What is third-party data?
Data gathered by another company about people who aren't your customers, often bought or rented. It's less accurate and harder to use under privacy rules.
Do I need consent to use first-party data?
Privacy laws vary by region; you always need marketing consent to email or text people about it.
Explore More Terms
Browse our complete glossary of e-commerce and subscription terms.
