SaaS Months to Recover CAC Calculator

Think of SaaS Months to Recover CAC as the number of months it takes for a new customer to pay back their acquisition cost. The faster you recover your CAC, the healthier your business.

  • Mosaic image

    Importance of CAC Recovery

    Understanding the time it takes to recover customer acquisition costs is crucial for SaaS financial health.

  • Mosaic image

    Benchmarking Recovery Time

    Comparing your months to recover CAC with industry standards can highlight operational efficiencies or issues.

  • Mosaic image

    Optimizing Marketing Spend

    Reducing the months to recover CAC can significantly enhance profitability and cash flow for SaaS companies.

📊 Input Values

📈 Results

SaaS Months to Recover CAC

0.00 months
This calculator determines how many months it will take to recover your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) based on your monthly recurring revenue per customer and gross margin.

How to Calculate SaaS Months to Recover CAC

To accurately compute the SaaS months to recover Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), follow these detailed steps:

  1. Calculate the total Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). This amount includes all expenses aimed at acquiring a new customer, such as marketing and sales efforts. Example: If your company spends $600 on marketing and $400 on sales to acquire a new customer, your CAC is $1000.
  2. Determine the Average Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) per customer. This is the regular income generated from each customer every month, excluding any one-time charges. Example: If a customer pays $120 monthly for a software subscription, the MRR is $120.
  3. Compute the Gross Margin. This is the percentage difference between the revenue earned and the costs of goods or services sold. Example: If the revenue from a customer is $120 and the cost to serve them is $60, the gross margin is 50%.
  4. Calculate the Months to Recover CAC. Divide the CAC by the product of MRR and the Gross Margin percentage. Example: With a CAC of $1000, MRR of $120, and a gross margin of 50%, the calculation would be $1000 / ($120 * 0.50) = 16.67 months.

SaaS Months to Recover CAC = CAC / (Average Monthly Recurring Revenue per Customer * Gross Margin)

Understanding SaaS Months to Recover CAC

Ioana Grigorescu

January 8, 2025

What is SaaS Months to Recover CAC?

Months to Recover CAC calculates the time it takes for a customer’s payments to equal the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) in a SaaS business context. This measure is important because it shows how quickly you recover the costs of bringing on new clients. A lower figure suggests that these costs will be recovered more quickly, improving the sustainability of the business.

  • Tracking CAC recovery time allows you to assess financial health and ensure sustainable growth.

     

  • For optimum profitability, allocate resources as efficiently as possible across customer success, marketing, and sales.

     

  • To guarantee long-term business survival, track trends over time and make proactive strategy adjustments.

Practical Examples of Months to Recover CAC in SaaS

  • Example 1: A SaaS company spends $500 to acquire a customer who generates $100 monthly. The Months to Recover CAC is calculated as 5 months ($500 / $100).
  • Example 2: In another scenario, a SaaS company has a CAC of $1200, offset by a customer generating $250 monthly. This results in a recovery period of 4.8 months ($1200 / $250).
  • Example 3: If a SaaS company incurs a CAC of $200 and acquires customers contributing $40 monthly, it will take 5 months to recover the CAC ($200 / $40).
Period CAC MRR Months to Recover CAC Change % Change Trend Analysis
Month 1 $5,000 $1,500 3.33 Initial Period
Month 2 $5,200 $1,600 3.25 -0.08 -2.40% Slight Improvement
Month 3 $5,500 $1,800 3.06 -0.19 -5.85% Positive Trend

SaaS Months to Recover CAC = 5500 / (1500 * 0.7) = 5.24

Different Ways to Calculate Months to Recover CAC

  • Simple Calculation: This method divides the total Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) with the Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) brought in by a new customer. This is more of an overall or generic CAC calculation that gives a quick overview of CAC effectiveness.
  • CAC Blended: This is achieved by taking the total CAC expended on all the customers acquired during a particular period and then dividing it by the total MRR generated. This gives an overview of the general health and effectiveness of the business.
  • CAC Segmented: This is created by dividing the CAC for each customer segment (e.g., enterprise and SMB) into two parts. This helps in identifying the profitable customers and also knowing where to concentrate the acquisition efforts.
  • Payback Period with Churn: This is however achieved by substituting Gross Profit for the MRR and also considering the customer lifespan. This provides a balanced perspective of CAC recovery in general, especially where customers do not stay in the account long.

How to Improve Your Months to Recover CAC

  • Lower the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Concentrate on the most economical marketing avenues, such as referrals or content marketing. To cut expenses, experiment with various consumer acquisition strategies, such as A/B testing advertisements.
  • Boost ARPA, or average revenue per account: To draw in higher-value clients, use a tiered price structure and provide premium features or add-ons to current clients.
  • Enhance Customer Retention: Reduce attrition by strengthening customer service, personalizing the onboarding procedure, and ensuring consistent communication. With engaging content and a strong community, you can increase client loyalty.
  • Optimize Your Pricing Strategy: To find the ideal pricing strategy for your SaaS and target market, try value-based or usage-based pricing. Make sure the cost of your product is commensurate with its worth. 
  • Minimize Sales Cycle: Simplify your sales procedure by eliminating pointless processes. Revenue capture can be accelerated by offering clear product information and a simplified purchasing procedure.

 

Ready to get started?

We’ve been where you are. Let’s share our 18 years of experience and make your global dreams a reality.

Talk to an Expert
Mosaic image
en_USEnglish