Programmatic Buying Types

Programmatic Buying Types Explained

Same impression, four different ways to buy it.

Not All Programmatic Buying Is the Same

Depending on campaign objectives, inventory quality, and desired level of control, advertisers can choose from several transaction types, ranging from fully guaranteed inventory to open, real-time auctions.

The four most common buying models are Programmatic Guaranteed (PG), Preferred Deals, Private Marketplace (PMP) / Private Auctions, and the Open Exchange.

They differ primarily across four dimensions: inventory reservation, pricing, buyer access, and certainty of delivery. The IAB classifies these transaction types based on whether inventory is reserved or unreserved, fixed-price or auction-based, and open or restricted to selected buyers.

The Four Buying Types Side by Side

01 MOST CONTROL

Programmatic Guaranteed

Programmatic Guaranteed works like a traditional insertion order running on programmatic rails: advertiser and publisher lock in inventory, pricing, and delivery upfront, then let automated systems handle execution, trafficking, and reporting. Campaigns receive guaranteed impressions and fixed pricing, making PG ideal for premium brand campaigns and high-impact launches.

Inventory Reserved
Pricing Fixed CPM
Buyer Access One advertiser
Advertiser
Guaranteed
Publisher
Priority Access
REAL TIME

Which Buying Type Should You Choose?

A simple way to reason through it: guaranteed delivery first, then price certainty, then curated quality, with Open Exchange as the default when none of those are the priority.

Programmatic buying types

Klarion's Perspective

Every buying model has its place. The real question is no longer which transaction type is best, it's how intelligently each impression is evaluated, whatever the transaction type.

At Klarion, we believe premium supply should be enriched with contextual, attention, and quality signals regardless of whether it's bought through a Programmatic Guaranteed deal, a PMP, a Preferred Deal, or the Open Exchange. Because the future of programmatic isn't defined only by how inventory is bought, it's defined by how intelligently it's selected.

Four ways to buy. One standard for intelligence.