Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
Also called CAC
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is the total sales and marketing spend needed to win one new paying customer. Divide all sales and marketing costs in a period by the number of new customers won in that period.
How to calculate CAC
CAC = (sales costs + marketing costs) ÷ new customers. Include ad spend, tools, agency fees and the salaries of the people doing the work. For example, $30,000 of costs in a quarter and 20 new customers gives a CAC of $1,500.
Blended CAC uses all customers; paid CAC uses only customers from paid channels. Track both.
Why CAC matters for SaaS
CAC tells you what growth really costs. Compared with customer lifetime value (the LTV to CAC ratio) and with how many months it takes to earn it back (CAC payback), it shows whether spending more will pay off.
How to lower CAC
- Fix the landing pages ads send people to, before raising budget.
- Grow organic search and AI visibility, which keep working without ongoing ad spend.
- Focus on the customer profiles that close fastest.
- Move budget weekly from channels with a high CAC to ones with a low CAC.
Frequently asked questions
CPA (cost per acquisition) usually measures one conversion in an ad platform, such as a sign-up. CAC measures the full cost of winning a paying customer.
It depends on your pricing and funding. Many SaaS teams aim to earn back CAC within 12 months; shorter is better for cash flow.