Free · Business planning calculators 💼

Sales & Marketing Acquisition Cost Calculator

Estimate customer acquisition cost from sales spend, marketing spend and new customers.

  • Formula & worked example
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Calculator inputs

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How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the known values in the units shown. Results update as you type.
  2. Edit a calculated value to solve backwards, or lock a value to hold it fixed.
  3. Use the worked example to check the method. Reset restores the starting fields.

Use the result with context

Results are estimates for planning and education. Confirm rates, taxes, fees, and legal requirements with the relevant institution or a qualified professional before making a financial decision.

Formula and method

Add sales and marketing costs, then divide by newly acquired customers. Match the spending window to the acquisition window and state which expenses you included.

CAC = (sales cost + marketing cost) ÷ new customers

Worked example

Enter these known values and leave the other values blank.

Cost of sales
5000 USD
Cost of marketing
3000 USD
Number of new customers
100
Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
80 USD

Assumptions and limitations

  • Inputs describe one consistent reporting period. Review the formula and counting conventions before comparing results.

Common questions

Should returning customers be counted?

Not when measuring new-customer acquisition. Including returning customers lowers the calculated amount and changes the meaning of the metric.

References

The calculation equations, inverse formulas, units, and input rules were imported from this source. Bookify provides the interface and equation solver.

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