Linkjolt
Sign InStart Free
SaaS Metrics

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including all sales and marketing expenses divided by the number of customers acquired.
Updated 1/15/2025
2 examples

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the total amount spent to acquire a new customer. It includes all sales and marketing expenses divided by the number of new customers acquired in a specific period. Understanding CAC is crucial for building profitable affiliate programs.

Calculating CAC

Basic CAC Formula

CAC = Total Sales & Marketing Expenses / Number of New Customers

Channel-Specific CAC

Calculate CAC for each acquisition channel:

Affiliate CAC = (Affiliate Commissions + Program Management Costs) / Affiliate-Acquired Customers

CAC and LTV Relationship

LTV:CAC Ratio

LTV:CAC Ratio = Customer Lifetime Value / Customer Acquisition Cost

Healthy Ratios

  • 5:1 or higher: Excellent efficiency
  • 3:1 to 5:1: Good efficiency
  • 2:1 to 3:1: Acceptable but improvable
  • Below 2:1: Unsustainable

Affiliate Marketing and CAC

Advantages of Affiliate CAC

  • Performance-based: Only pay for results
  • Predictable costs: Known commission rates
  • Scalable: Add more affiliates as needed
  • Risk mitigation: Diversified acquisition channels

Use our Stripe Affiliate ROI Calculator to:

  • Calculate your true affiliate CAC
  • Compare affiliate costs to other channels
  • Optimize commission structures for profitability

Ready to optimize your customer acquisition strategy? Start with understanding your current CAC.

Examples
1

Spending $10,000 to acquire 50 customers results in a $200 CAC

2

If affiliate commissions are $50 and LTV is $500, the LTV:CAC ratio is 10:1

Previous

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Next

Return on Investment (ROI)

Table of Contents
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)Calculating CACBasic CAC FormulaChannel-Specific CACCAC and LTV RelationshipLTV:CAC RatioHealthy RatiosAffiliate Marketing and CACAdvantages of Affiliate CAC
Related Terms

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

The total revenue a business expects to generate from a customer throughout thei...

Affiliate Marketing

A performance-based marketing strategy where businesses reward affiliates for ea...

Commission

The payment or percentage of sale that an affiliate earns for successfully promo...

Return on Investment (ROI)

A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment, calculat...
Quick Links
Browse All TermsFree SaaS ToolsHelpful Guides

Ready to Apply What You've Learned?

Start your affiliate marketing journey with LinkJolt and put these concepts into practice
Start Free TrialExplore More Terms
LinkJolt

The all-in-one affiliate management platform for SaaS companies.

Product
Resources
GuidesBlogAlternativesCompare ToolsTermsPrivacyCookies

© 2025 LinkJolt. All rights reserved.

Made with ♥ for SaaS companies