Abstract

This integration guide outlines the technical specifications for Advertiser partner integration with Cardlytics to onboard merchants and offers. It is designed for partners who have card-linked offers (CLO) and represent local merchants, such as restaurants. It provides instructions for running these offers and expanding their reach to the Cardlytics network, which includes a wide range of financial institutions and brand partners.

The guide details data formats, file naming conventions, upload protocols using SFTP, and REST API endpoints for real-time updates, emphasizing secure and efficient data exchange. Adherence to these guidelines ensures seamless collaboration and optimized data handling between partners and Cardlytics.

The guide is aimed at an Advertiser or Demand Partner — such as an advertiser, agency, or content aggregator—that seeks to purchase digital ad inventory from publishers or supply networks. Demand Partners use technology platforms to automate and optimize the buying process, often leveraging APIs to connect with other platforms for efficient data exchange and campaign management.

Key Components of the Integration

The integration between Advertiser Partners and Cardlytics is structured around four key components:

1. Merchant Ingestion: Focuses on onboarding and managing merchant data within Cardlytics systems.
2. Offer Ingestion: Deals with the management of merchant offers provided by partners and their ingestion into Cardlytics.
3. Redemption Feed: Provides partners with data on transaction redemptions.
4. Aggregate Reporting: Provides endpoints that allow partners to retrieve performance metrics for their offers and merchants.

General Important Considerations:

• Schema Adherence: Proper formatting and adherence to the defined JSON schemas are crucial for successful integration and to avoid processing errors.
• Identifier Consistency: Maintaining consistent merchant and offer identifiers (merchantId, offerId) across all data exchanges is essential for tracking changes and ensuring data integrity.
• Choice of Integration Method: Partners can choose between SFTP for batch processing (recommended for larger volumes) or REST APIs for near real-time updates (recommended for smaller volumes or immediate updates).
• File Overwrite Policy: For both merchant and offer ingestion via SFTP, new files with the same name will overwrite existing ones.
• Offer Activation and Deletion: Once an offer is activated by a consumer, it remains valid for redemption (and payout) up to 30-45 days, even if the partner signals to take it down.

Implementation Steps

For detailed implementation steps, refer to the sections below in the Table of Contents and adhere to the specified schemas, protocols, and guidelines.