Rely on independently audited, industry aligned measurement practices that meet the credibility threshold required for consolidated, cross-retailer and multi-market media investments.
Shift conversations away from debating methodology and towards evaluating real campaign outcomes.
Lower exposure to disputes and buyer scepticism by grounding performance reporting in verified, consistent measurement standards.
Remove measurement uncertainty that delays approvals, enabling faster budget commitments, smoother renewals, and access to larger, multi-retailer budgets.
Retail Media investment decisions increasingly depend on whether performance can be compared, trusted, and defended. Certification provides a clear, independent signal that your measurement practices meet those expectations.
Certification is awarded following an independent audit against IAB Europe’s Retail Media Measurement Standards for on-site and off-site media.
Certified retailers signal to agencies and brands that their reporting practices are suitable for serious media investment decisions, including renewals, RFPs, and multi-retailer campaigns.
Are you a retailer or Ad Tech company?
The Certification process is designed to be lightweight and focused.
It builds on measurement practices most organisations already have in place and does not require significant or operational staffing changes.
The certification process for Retailers and Ad Tech companies is designed to be lightweight and focused.
It builds on measurement practices most organisations already have in place and does not require significant operational or staffing changes for Retailers and Ad Tech.
Certification is awarded following an independent audit assessing alignment with IAB Europe’s Retail Media Measurement Standards. Organisations must demonstrate compliance with the mandatory requirements from the compliance table.
Once certified, the IAB Europe Retail Media Certification badge is valid for two years, solidifying your position as a leader in Retail Media measurement.
The certification process will involve an independent audit that demonstrates compliance with the mandatory requirements from the Compliance Table companies to achieve certification.
Once certified, your certification badge will be valid for two years, solidifying your position as a leader in Retail Media measurement.
Read our Overview for Retailers here.
Read our Overview for Ad Tech Companies here.
Our overview for Agencies and Media Buyers is here.
Please refer to this table for an up-to-date list of which companies have been certified.
Retail Media Certification provides agencies with a clear, independent reference point for evaluating performance across retailers.
By anchoring reporting to aligned, audited measurement standards, certification makes Retail Media easier to compare, challenge, and defend in client discussions.
How Agencies Use Certification
What Agencies Can Do Next
Certification does not replace agency judgement.
It provides a common measurement foundation that makes Retail Media buying more efficient, comparable, and accountable.
The Retail Media Certification is an industry-recognised certification rewarding those who adhere to the IAB Europe standards across on-site and off-site Retail Media measurement. Compliance with these standards promotes a level playing field, enabling fair competition and fostering confidence in the validity of measurement outcomes.
Both retailers and ad tech companies are now eligible to apply for full certification under the IAB Europe Retail Media Certification Programme. Certified companies receive the 'IAB Europe Retail Media Certified' logo, which can be used across corporate and marketing communications to demonstrate compliance with industry-agreed measurement standards.
The Retail Media Certification Compliance Table outlines exactly what the independent auditors will check. Once the audit is complete, the auditor will present their findings to IAB Europe. If the company has met the minimum compliance requirements, they will receive certification. If not, they will have the opportunity to make necessary adjustments and submit those modifications for a re-audit.
Participating companies can choose to be certified for the entirety of their Retail Media Offering or for specific ad products, e.g. Sponsored Products on-site only and this will be declared in IAB Europe's reporting of certified companies. IAB Europe will not disclose the participants of the audit in advance, ensuring that any gaps remain confidential. Once the company successfully meets the required threshold in the audit, IAB Europe will issue a certification badge. Certification is valid for two years from the date issued on the Certificate.
The Retail Media Certification Compliance Table outlines exactly what the independent auditors will check. It covers both retailers and ad tech companies.
This certification will be valid for two years. IAB Europe will host an up-to-date list of the certified companies on its website.
A Certification Advisory group comprised of National Federations and IABs and the Chair of our Retail Media Committee will govern the programme and ensure we have the right expertise to make decisions on key milestones such as:
IAB Europe has selected three non-profit auditors (AAM, ABC, and CESP) to undertake the independent audits for this certification.
The auditor will hold a direct commercial relationship with the organisation being certified. It will also take guidance from IAB Europe. Its core responsibilities will include:
Yes, there are two costs to factor in. Firstly, the independent audit will need to be paid for, and secondly, once the audit has been passed and the company wishes to receive certification, then a certification fee is due to IAB Europe.
The certification fee for RMN businesses is 7,500 Euros.
The certification fee for ad tech companies generating more than 50m+ Euros of media revenue per year will be 15,000 Euros, and those with less than 50m Euros of media revenue will be 7,500 Euros.
Any company being certified needs to agree to IAB Europe's certification terms and conditions before certification is issued.
Any company wishing to be certified must be a member of a National IAB or Federation within Europe.
In Europe, there are a number of certification programmes at a local level for existing digital media standards (e.g. IAB UK Gold Standard, IAB Sweden Gold Standard, CESP Label), but there isn't a certification programme at a European level specifically for the Retail Media landscape. As the creator of the Retail Media measurement standards, IAB Europe is well-positioned to issue the certifications.
IAB Europe and IAB UK are working closely to incorporate aspects of the European Retail Media Certification into the Gold Standard. If a company looking to be certified already meets some of the IAB Europe Retail Media Certification requirements via a recent IAB UK Gold Standard audit, this will make the audit process more efficient.
IAB Europe and the Media Rating Council (MRC) have coordinated to align MRC accreditation of European RMN measurement providers to the requirements of the IAB Europe Retail Media Certification program. We have reached an agreement that will allow the MRC to issue a letter to accredited European RMN measurement providers that can, in turn, be provided to IAB Europe to demonstrate independent validation of compliance with certain IAB Europe Retail Media certification requirements.
