As third-party cookies fade out and privacy regulations tighten, marketers worldwide are rethinking how they understand and engage consumers. With Google removing third-party cookies from Chrome and platforms like Apple limiting tracking, the industry is shifting toward data that is privacy-safe, consent-driven, and owned directly by brands.

That shift has elevated two powerful data categories:
zero-party data and first-party data.

While both help marketers personalize experiences and build trust, they operate differently — and together they create a future-proof foundation for modern loyalty, shopper marketing, and conversational commerce across channels like WhatsApp.

This article explains the difference between zero-party and first-party data, why brands need both, and how BuyerFy.global + BuyChat.me help organizations collect and activate them responsibly.

What Is Zero-Party Data?

Zero-party data is information customers intentionally and voluntarily share with a brand.

It includes details such as:

• product preferences

• interests

• motivations

• lifestyle needs

• communication preferences

• purchase plans

• profile details

• quiz or survey responses

Customers provide this data through:

• preference centers

• WhatsApp chat flows

• forms and landing pages

• membership applications

• surveys and polls

• loyalty program onboarding

Because the customer knowingly submits it, zero-party data is inherently:

• accurate

• transparent

• compliant

• high-intent

Many brands treat zero-party data as value exchange:
“Give us your preferences and we’ll give you personalization, rewards, or exclusive access.”

This conversational and voluntary nature makes zero-party data ideal for WhatsApp journeys powered by BuyChat.me, where customers can answer short questions in a friendly, chat-based format — without friction.

What Is First-Party Data?

First-party data is information organizations collect from customers’ actual behavior on their own channels.

It includes:

• website analytics

• app interactions

• purchase history

• cart behavior

• subscription status

• login activity

• receipt submissions

• loyalty interactions

• customer support engagement

Brands gather this data via:

• tracking pixels

• CRM systems

• analytics tools

• POS integrations

• mobile app events

• WhatsApp usage patterns (e.g., sessions, commands, redemption activity)

First-party data must be analyzed to extract useful insights.
For example:

• Someone viewed a product page → were they interested or just browsing?

• Someone visited a retail store → what did they buy?

• Someone scanned a receipt → what SKUs were in the basket?

BuyerFy.global takes this raw data (especially SKU-level insights from receipts) and transforms it into actionable intelligence — predicting preferences, identifying segments, and powering personalized experiences across channels.

Zero-Party Data vs. First-Party Data: Core Differences

Although both support personalization, the differences are fundamental:

1. How The Data Is Collected

Zero-Party Data

✔ customers explicitly provide information
✔ shared through forms, quizzes, WhatsApp chat flows, memberships
✔ given voluntarily with full awareness

First-Party Data

✔ collected from behavioral signals
✔ derived from web, app, POS, WhatsApp engagement, purchase behavior
✔ requires customer consent but often isn’t manually entered

2. Analysis Requirements

Zero-Party → No analysis needed

Customers say exactly what they prefer.

First-Party → Requires interpretation

Behavioral signals need context.

3. Insight Accuracy

Zero-Party → Extremely accurate

Customers tell you in their own words what they want.

First-Party → Highly accurate but sometimes incomplete

Actions don’t always equal intent.

4. Customer Awareness

Zero-Party → Full awareness

Customers know they’re sharing details.

First-Party → Partial awareness

Many users accept cookie banners without fully understanding them.

5. Privacy Considerations

Zero-Party → Minimal privacy concerns

Customers volunteered the information.

First-Party → Low but present privacy considerations

Brands must be transparent about how behavioral data is collected and used.

Summary Table

Why Marketers Need Both Data Types

To replace third-party cookies, brands need a dual-engine data strategy:

Zero-party data answers: “What does the customer want?”

✔ Preferences
✔ Intentions
✔ Motivations
✔ Personal tastes

First-party data answers: “What does the customer do?”

✔ Actions
✔ Purchases
✔ Behavior
✔ Engagement patterns

Together, they create:

• more accurate segments

• stronger personalization

• higher conversion

• better loyalty outcomes

• reduced acquisition costs

• richer customer profiles

BuyerFy.global unifies both data types into a single cross-channel identity profile — enhanced by BuyChat.me interactions such as receipt uploads, preference quizzes, and gamified loyalty journeys.

Why WhatsApp Is Perfect for Collecting Both Data Types

WhatsApp is now the leading channel for consensual data collection because it combines:

• convenience

• immediacy

• interactivity

• trust

• accessibility

WhatsApp excels at:

Zero-Party Data Collection:
✔ product preference quizzes
✔ lifestyle surveys
✔ communication frequency choices
✔ personalized onboarding

First-Party Data Collection:
✔ receipt OCR data
✔ behavioral tracking (flow completion, click-through)
✔ purchase validations
✔ loyalty engagements

This allows brands to build rich customer profiles without relying on third-party tracking.

Conclusion: Zero-Party + First-Party Data Is the Future of Ethical Personalization

With third-party cookies disappearing, the brands that succeed will be those who:

• build trust

• ask instead of track

• personalize instead of interrupt

• respect privacy

• centralize insights

• create conversational journeys

Zero-party data provides clarity.
First-party data provides context.
Together, they form the backbone of a privacy-first, high-performance marketing and loyalty ecosystem.

And BuyerFy.global + BuyChat.me provides the technology to make it happen.