Customer Acquisition Payback Calculator
Find how many steady gross-profit months are needed to recover customer acquisition spending.
Your result
FINANCIALEnter your values and select calculate.
On this page How it works & practical examples
How to use the Customer Acquisition Payback Calculator
Use the gross margin after direct delivery costs. The output can be fractional because it assumes gross profit accrues steadily; compare the period with observed retention separately.
The calculation
Worked example
$300 acquisition cost, $50 monthly revenue and a 60% margin give ten months of gross-profit payback.
Assumptions and limits
Unlike lifetime value, this measures cost recovery time. It excludes churn, discounting, expansion, taxes and payment delays.
Common questions
Which inputs should I use?
Use the gross margin after direct delivery costs. The output can be fractional because it assumes gross profit accrues steadily; compare the period with observed retention separately.
What does the result exclude?
Unlike lifetime value, this measures cost recovery time. It excludes churn, discounting, expansion, taxes and payment delays.