This podcast episode is sponsored by Kevel and features Henry Stokes, UK Country Manager at PayPal Ads, in conversation with Collin Colburn, Vice President of Commerce and Retail Media at the IAB, recorded live at Retail Media Summit UK, brought to you by SMG and ADWEEK.
The next big evolution in commerce media might not come from retailers but from your wallet instead.
That’s the idea at the center of this conversation, where Stokes unpacks how PayPal is redefining what it means to connect data, audiences, and value in a fast-changing commerce media ecosystem. Just weeks after announcing its new ad network for small and medium-sized businesses—launching in the U.S. now and in the UK by mid-2026—PayPal is signaling that financial services are primed to become an integral part of the commerce media landscape.
Expanding Commerce Media Beyond Retail
Commerce media has evolved from a solely retail-focused concept to one that spans verticals like travel, tech, and subscriptions. “PayPal works with over 30 million retailers globally,” Stokes explains. “While we’re a payments business, our ad proposition is relevant to any merchant in any category.”
Through PayPal Ads, merchants can reach more than 430 million consumers who already use PayPal at checkout, bridging advertisers and active buyers in real time.
Turning Every Moment Into a Shopping Moment
One of PayPal’s biggest innovations is its storefront ad unit, which allows transactions directly within an ad, without leaving the browsing experience. “It could be across any website or app,” Stokes says. “That’s a powerful opportunity to make every environment shopping-enabled.”
The approach reframes how and where purchase decisions happen, extending commerce media far beyond retailer-owned sites.
Using Data to Drive Incrementality
At the core of PayPal’s ad proposition is its payments data, a uniquely powerful foundation for understanding shopping behavior.
“Targeting someone new to a brand or someone who’s lapsed drives incrementality,” says Stokes. With visibility across merchants and categories, PayPal can even model whether ad campaigns shift market share, a level of insight not all networks can offer.
Understanding the UK Shopper
Stokes notes that UK consumers remain focused on value amid the cost-of-living crisis. “When you’re delivering ads, you have to think about how it’s valuable to them—cashback, points, or discounts that drive real benefit.”
Ease of purchase is equally key. With PayPal’s biometric verification and in-ad transactions, “British consumers can make a purchase in just two clicks,” he adds.
The Bottom Line
As commerce media expands beyond retail, financial services players like PayPal are emerging as powerful new networks—blending advertising, payments, and data into a single value exchange. The takeaway: The future of commerce media won’t just be about reaching shoppers; it’ll be about enabling the purchase itself.
