A new Apple patent reveals a way to show you ads on your iPhone of things that you can actually afford, based on how much money you have available in the bank.

Filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last year, the patent describes a system that targets "advertising of goods and services to users of mobile terminals, based for example on the users' profile."

"The common profile of users may be based on the amount of pre-paid credit available to each user," the patent says.

Ad invasion

Apple already hosts user banking payment details through Apple Pay, and this app will have Apple storing more information about you, your income and you bank accounts.

Advertisers will be able to choose parameters for the ads, so that a user's profile can be matched up to the most appropriate ad. The profile could include, along with available credit, "age, sex and income level(s), target telephone type, etc."

Apple's patent states, however, that this is just an opt-in services, and that the advantage of having such a system in place will mean you won't be seeing ads of things out of your price-range.

"An advantage of such targeted advertising is that only advertisements for goods and services which particular users can afford, are delivered to these users," the patent explains.

However, as with Apple Pay, it's unlikely Apple would sell the information to advertisers. And, of course, this is just a patent, so it doesn't mean the feature will ever come to be.

This is why we think Apple Pay is good news for everyone

Via Business Insider