Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that permit merchants, venue owners, and other entities defined within a location-based system to communicate with users. Additional communication capabilities are provided in a location-based service that permits merchants and other entities to engage users in different ways. One or more advertisers, merchants or other entities may be able to send messages to one or more users. For instance, if a user visits a venue more than a certain number of times in total, visits or “checks-in” to that venue over a period of time, indicates that the user follows or “likes” a particular venue or merchant, or performs some other activity with the location-based network, that merchant may be provided a vehicle for sending messages to those users. Targeted messages may be sent responsive to any information used in the location-based service, including active or passive user activity.