Visa has entered into a strategic partnership with Analytic Partners as the digital payments giant looks to address commercial challenges faced by merchants and brands, including the optimisation of advertising investments, using AI-driven data analytics.

The collaboration will combine Visa’s merchant relationships and consumer spend insights with Analytic Partners’ commercial decision-making platform. Initially, the focus of the partnership will be on the United States, with a planned global expansion to follow.

Global Head of Merchant Sales & Acquiring at Visa, Jeni Mundy, said: "The volume of data available to merchants can be overwhelming, and if they don’t get it just right, it’s a missed opportunity for growth. Bringing together our scale and insights with Analytic Partners’ deep expertise in Commercial Analytics, we’ll enable our clients to achieve greater success in their lines of business. We’re excited to unlock the potential of new enhanced solutions for merchants in the years to come."

Visa and Analytic Partners have made exclusivity commitments for merchant and brand marketing spend optimisation offerings and services. They also plan to collaborate to develop new and enhanced analytics solutions that enable merchants and brands to turn insights into measurable business growth.

"Commercial Analytics helps merchants and brands understand which consumer and commercial levers to pull, so they can drive more actionable opportunities for growth. This can ultimately improve their ability to deepen customer loyalty and attract new customers. Visa’s global footprint, deep understanding of consumer spending and commitment to responsible innovation make them a great partner in revolutionising commercial intelligence for merchants and brands around the world," said CEO of Analytic Partners, Nancy Smith.