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CAC Payback Period Calculator

Metrics intermediate FOUNDERCFOCMO

CAC Payback Period measures how long it takes to recover customer acquisition cost from customer revenue or gross margin.

Try it with your numbers

CAC Payback (months)7.5
CAC Payback Period = CAC / (Monthly ARPA × Gross Margin)
Variable Meaning
CAC Customer acquisition cost.
Gross Margin Gross margin percentage on recurring revenue.
Monthly ARPA Average revenue per account per month.

Worked example

CAC
$6,000
Monthly ARPA
$1,000
Gross Margin
80%
→ CAC Payback (months)
7.5

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CAC Payback Period Formula

CAC Payback Period = CAC / (Monthly ARPA × Gross Margin)
Variable Meaning
CAC Customer acquisition cost.
Gross Margin Gross margin percentage on recurring revenue.
Monthly ARPA Average revenue per account per month.

How to Calculate CAC Payback Period

Worked example

CAC
$6,000
Monthly ARPA
$1,000
Gross Margin
80%
→ CAC Payback (months)
7.5

Full definition, benchmarks, and common mistakes live on the CAC Payback Period glossary page.

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