# Customer acquisition cost calculator

> Free CAC calculator. Enter marketing spend and new customers to get cost per customer, first-order profit, payback period in months and LTV:CAC.

Free, no sign-up, runs in the browser: https://analify-ai.scalyax.ai/tools/customer-acquisition-cost-calculator

See what a new customer costs you, whether the first order pays it back, and how many months it takes to earn it back if not.

## What it calculates

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is marketing spend divided by the new customers it brought. If the first order's profit covers CAC, you make money from day one. If not, the payback period shows how many months of repeat orders it takes to earn the cost back. The longer the payback, the more cash you need to grow.

## Formula

```
CAC = Marketing spend ÷ new customers
Profit per order = AOV × margin
First-order profit = Profit per order − CAC
Payback months = CAC ÷ (Profit per order × orders per year ÷ 12)
LTV:CAC = Profit per order × orders per year × years ÷ CAC
```

## Worked example

Inputs:
- Marketing spend: USD 15,000
- New customers: 600
- Average order value: USD 60
- Margin: 45%
- Orders per year: 2.2
- Years as a customer: 2

Results:
- Payback period: 5.1 months
- CAC: USD 25
- First-order profit after CAC: USD 2
- Orders to pay back CAC: 0.93
- LTV:CAC: 4.75×

## What changes the result

Marketing spend at five values; every other input as in the example.

| Marketing spend | CAC | Payback period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| USD 7,500 | USD 12.50 | 2.5 months |
| USD 11,250 | USD 18.75 | 3.8 months |
| USD 15,000 (example) | USD 25 | 5.1 months |
| USD 18,750 | USD 31.25 | 6.3 months |
| USD 22,500 | USD 37.50 | 7.6 months |

## How to read the result

A negative first-order profit is normal for brands with strong repeat buying, as long as payback is shorter than customers stay.
If payback is longer than your cash can wait, lower CAC or raise first-order value with bundles or upsells.

## Questions

**How do I calculate CAC?**
Divide marketing spend in a period by the new customers you got in the same period.

**What is CAC payback period?**
The months it takes for a customer's profit to cover what you paid to acquire them.

**Should CAC include more than ad spend?**
Blended CAC includes agencies, tools and salaries; paid CAC uses ad spend only. Use the same one every time you compare.

**Do you store what I enter?**
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to Analify.

## Use your real numbers

Analify reads ad spend from Meta, TikTok and Google and new customers from Shopify, and shows CAC and payback next to customer lifetime value. Analify reads 6 of these 6 inputs live. Try the calculator: https://analify-ai.scalyax.ai/tools/customer-acquisition-cost-calculator

More free ecommerce calculators: https://analify-ai.scalyax.ai/tools