Understanding Customer Data: The Most Important Data Categories at a Glance

1.April

In today’s data-driven world, the effective use of customer data is key to delivering personalized services, targeted marketing, and long-term customer loyalty. But which types of data really matter? Below, we present eight essential data categories that help businesses build a comprehensive understanding of their customers:

1. Behavioral Data

These insights reveal how customers interact with digital offerings, such as:

  • Website or app interactions

  • Usage frequency and time patterns

  • Transaction behavior

  • Location and device-related activity

2. Master / CRM Data

These are classic profile and master data, including:

  • Age, gender, address

  • Occupation and household size

  • Customer ID and contact information

3. Transaction Data

This data provides insights into purchasing behavior:

  • Time, value, and type of transactions

  • Purchase frequency and payment methods

  • Merchant category codes

4. Product Data

Product-related information is especially important for assortment analysis and pricing strategies:

  • Product ID, category, price

  • Availability and performance

  • Product attributes

5. Financial Data

These help assess customers’ financial status and creditworthiness:

  • Income, credit rating

  • Payment defaults, CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)

  • Payment and purchasing behavior

6. Third-Party Data

External data sources provide deeper insights:

  • Demographic and socioeconomic data

  • Geolocation data, online tracking profiles

  • Scoring values (e.g., credit scores)

7. Account Data

Important insights from payment accounts:

  • IBAN, account balance, debtor information

  • Payment references and transaction amounts

  • SEPA categories and spending classifications

8. Loyalty & Service Data

Crucial for customer retention:

  • Loyalty program status

  • Collected points, redemptions, rewards usage

  • Program duration and service interactions