As third-party cookies disappear and privacy regulations tighten worldwide, brands are entering a new era where first-party data is becoming the single most valuable asset in marketing, loyalty, and consumer intelligence. FMCG companies, retailers, and CPG brands that once relied heavily on media platforms for targeting now need to build their own consumer datasets — responsibly, transparently, and with a clear value exchange.
In this guide, BuyerFy.global breaks down what first-party data actually is, how it differs from zero-party data, and why modern brands are using technologies like WhatsApp loyalty flows, receipt OCR, and AI-powered consumer journeys to collect better data than ever before.
First-party data is information that a brand collects directly from its customers — with full consent — across its own touchpoints. This includes both digital interactions and offline behaviors.
Demographics (age, gender, household, education, occupation)
Purchase behavior and POS receipts
Website and mobile app activity
eCommerce interactions
Email and SMS engagement
Loyalty program history
Customer support interactions
Chatbot and live chat transcripts
Receipt submissions and validations (e.g., via BuyChat.me WhatsApp automation)
In-store events, promotions, and contests
In simple terms:
First-party data = information your customers naturally generate while engaging with your brand.
Unlike third-party data, which is aggregated by external platforms, first-party data is owned, permission-based, and far more accurate.
Consumers want brands to understand their needs, preferences, and context. They expect:
relevant offers
accurate recommendations
frictionless cross-channel experiences
But they only accept personalization if it is based on data they have willingly shared.
Customers hesitate to share personal information unless a brand demonstrates:
transparency
ethical handling
meaningful value exchange
First-party data is the foundation of this trust.
Google is phasing out third-party cookies across Chrome.
Apple already restricts tracking through iOS.
Facebook has similar limitations.
Brands can no longer rely on external data sources for targeting or measurement.
They must own their data strategy.
GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, ADPPA, and dozens of new regulations are reshaping the data landscape.
The safest long-term strategy is:
➡️ Collect first-party data directly and compliantly.
Modern brands interact with customers across numerous channels, each producing valuable data.
Website browsing & conversions
Mobile app behavior
Email and SMS engagement
Chatbots and live chat
In-app purchase flows
BuyChat.me WhatsApp interactions (keyword triggers, receipts, loyalty claims)
POS receipts
Retail activation events
In-store loyalty scans
Manual form submissions
Customer support calls
Warranty registrations
NPS & feedback programs
With BuyerFy.global’s OCR engine and BuyChat.me WhatsApp integrations, brands can capture:
real purchase data
product combinations
frequency of buying
retailer preference
regional behavior
cross-brand activity
This makes receipts the new gold standard of first-party data in FMCG.
While closely related, they serve different purposes.
Information customers explicitly volunteer, such as:
preferences
likes & dislikes
communication choices
shopping intentions
quiz/survey answers
Zero-party data is collected through:
loyalty program preference centers
onboarding flows
quizzes and surveys
WhatsApp conversational journeys
registration forms
Zero-party data can come from both customers and non-customers.
Collected automatically through consumer interactions:
purchases
website usage
app events
loyalty redemptions
receipt submissions
customer service calls
First-party data comes mainly from actual customers.
First-party data fuels core commercial and marketing operations.
Here are the most common use cases:
Customers want relevant, not generic experiences.
Brands use first-party data to personalize:
offers
messaging
recommendations
timing and channel selection
Example:
Using receipt OCR to suggest the next best product based on last purchase.
Brands use first-party data to create:
custom audience lists
lookalike profiles
high-intent retargeting pools
These can be used across:
Google Ads
Meta Ads
TikTok Ads
Email & SMS
WhatsApp push campaigns
By combining data from all touchpoints, brands can understand:
how customers move across channels
where they drop off
what triggers purchase
what improves loyalty
This allows them to optimize the entire purchase journey.
With first-party data, messages become:
more relevant
more timely
more profitable
Examples:
back-in-stock alerts
category-specific offers
price-drop notifications
loyalty reward reminders
Identify:
dormant customers
low-frequency shoppers
past buyers
category switchers
Then create:
win-back campaigns
product reactivation flows
loyalty boosts
WhatsApp is especially powerful here via BuyChat.me.
First-party data powers:
personalized point multipliers
tier upgrades
birthday & anniversary rewards
coupon delivery
exclusive member events
This is the strongest overlap with zero-party data.
Brands can:
understand app usage
identify upsell opportunities
reduce churn
offer proactive assistance
Example:
Mobile app insights reveal that users aren’t using a premium feature.
Customer success triggers an email tutorial + WhatsApp reminder.
BuyerFy’s ecosystem enables brands to collect and activate first-party data more efficiently than traditional systems.
✔ GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted Azure infrastructure
✔ Real-time receipt OCR extraction
✔ WhatsApp loyalty via BuyChat.me
✔ Fraud detection & data cleansing
✔ Multi-retailer, multi-territory support
✔ AI-powered recommendation engine
✔ Integration with CRM, CDP & BI tools
This transforms fragmented touchpoints into a single, unified customer intelligence platform.
In 2025 and beyond, brands that master first-party data will win.
Those that delay will lose visibility, accuracy, and revenue.
The brands that lead are already:
building direct relationships
using WhatsApp conversational commerce
capturing receipt-based purchase data
investing in loyalty ecosystems
centralizing their data
acting on insights in real time
With BuyerFy.global and BuyChat.me, brands can build a sustainable, privacy-safe, future-proof first-party data engine that drives measurable growth.