Finance & Profitability
CAC Payback Period
Calculator
Discover how many months it takes to recover what you spent acquiring each customer. Essential for SaaS founders and subscription businesses planning to scale.
Your Metrics
Use blended averages across all acquisition channels.
Total cost to acquire one new customer
$
Monthly subscription or average monthly spend
$
Typically 70–90% for SaaS
%
Payback Period = CAC ÷ (ARPU × Gross Margin %)
Benchmark: <6mo (excellent) · <12mo (good) · >18mo (critical)
Payback Status: Good
Payback under 12 months. A healthy range for most SaaS and subscription businesses.
Payback Period
6.7
months
$74.25 gross profit / month per customer
12-Month LTV
$891
24-Month LTV
$1,782
ROI at 12mo
78%
Cumulative Profit per Customer
Starts at -$500 (your CAC) and recovers month by month
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the CAC Payback Period Calculator