SaaS Metrics

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

The total revenue a business expects to generate from a customer throughout their entire relationship.

1 min read
Updated Jan 15, 2025
2 examples

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) represents the total amount of money a customer is expected to generate for your business during their entire relationship. It's a crucial metric for determining how much you can afford to spend on customer acquisition and affiliate commissions.

Calculating LTV

Simple LTV Formula

LTV = Average Customer Lifespan × Average Revenue Per Customer

SaaS LTV Formula

LTV = (Average Revenue Per Customer / Churn Rate)

Example Calculations

Basic Example

  • Average monthly revenue: $100
  • Customer lifespan: 24 months
  • LTV = $100 × 24 = $2,400

SaaS Example

  • Monthly revenue per customer: $150
  • Monthly churn rate: 5%
  • LTV = $150 / 0.05 = $3,000

LTV in Affiliate Marketing

Optimizing Affiliate Commissions

  • High LTV customers: Can afford higher affiliate commissions
  • Quality over quantity: Focus on affiliates who bring high-LTV customers
  • Lifetime commissions: Pay ongoing commissions based on LTV
  • Segment-based rates: Different commissions for different customer types

Ready to optimize your affiliate program based on LTV? Use our tools:

Real-World Examples

1

A customer paying $100/month for 20 months has an LTV of $2,000

2

If CAC is $500 and LTV is $2,000, the LTV:CAC ratio is 4:1

Pro tip: Press J for next term, K for previous

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