Ecommerce KPI Tool
Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator
Measure paid and blended CAC so your growth targets stay profitable.
Formula: Paid CAC = Ad Spend / New Customers | Blended CAC = (Ad Spend + Payroll + Agency Fees) / New Customers
Plan Mode
Free mode is active while advanced subscription features are paused.
Decision snapshot
Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator
Measure paid and blended CAC so your growth targets stay profitable.
Formula
Paid CAC = Ad Spend / New Customers | Blended CAC = (Ad Spend + Payroll + Agency Fees) / New Customers
Paid CAC
$20.00
Customers per $10k spend
500.0
Activity profile
A simple visual cue for the current decision path.
Growth quality check
CAC only matters when you compare it with payback and lifetime value
Customer acquisition cost shows what it costs to win a new customer. The decision comes from comparing CAC against gross margin, payback period, retention, and the expected value of future orders.
Reference points
Methodology
- Include all campaign spend, creative costs, sales costs, and tool costs tied to acquisition.
- Divide total acquisition cost by new customers, not total orders or leads.
- Compare CAC against contribution margin and repeat purchase behaviour before increasing spend.
Practical examples
- $6,000 acquisition spend and 300 new customers gives a CAC of $20.
- If first-order contribution profit is $12, the customer must repeat or upsell to repay CAC.
- A higher CAC can be acceptable when retention, subscriptions, or repeat purchases are strong.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not divide acquisition cost by all customers if existing customers also bought during the period.
- Do not ignore agency fees, influencer fees, creative production, or sales commissions.
- Do not scale paid acquisition without knowing payback timing.
Inputs
Enter your current operating numbers to get a quick decision-ready snapshot.
Scenario workspace
Save scenarios and compare outcomes. Local autosave stays on by default for quick planning.
Loading saved workspace...
No saved scenarios yet. Save your current assumptions to compare results over time.
| Scenario | Plan | Paid CAC | Customers per $10k spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current session | Free | $20.00 | 500.0 |
When to use this tool
- Before increasing ad budget to check if customer acquisition can scale without margin collapse.
- During channel reviews to compare acquisition efficiency across campaigns or agencies.
- Before hiring or retainers to understand true blended acquisition cost.
FAQ
What is the difference between paid CAC and blended CAC?
Paid CAC only includes media spend, while blended CAC adds team and tooling costs so you see true acquisition efficiency.
Why does blended CAC matter for scaling?
Blended CAC shows whether your growth model still works after all acquisition overhead, not just ad platform spend.
How do I lower CAC without hurting growth?
Improve conversion rate, increase repeat purchase rate, and tighten targeting before simply increasing bids.