> Source: https://tryordinary.com/tools/cac-calculator

[Free calculators](/tools)

# CAC calculator

Enter what you spent and how many new customers it won. You'll get paid CAC, fully loaded CAC and how much the first order pays back.

Ad spend$Every paid channel, for one period.

Other acquisition costs (optional)$Agency fees, creative, influencer payments, tools.

New customers acquiredFirst-time buyers only, in the same period. Leave returning customers out.

Average first-order value (optional)$Shows how much of the CAC the first order pays back.

Fully loaded CAC$50.00Everything you spent to win one new customer.Paid CAC$40.00Ad spend only.First-order return1.50×First order covers the CAC in revenue.CAC only makes sense next to what a customer is worth. [Calculate lifetime value →](/tools/customer-lifetime-value-calculator)

## How to calculate CAC

CAC = acquisition spend ÷ new customers acquired

Use the same period for both numbers and count first-time customers only. There are two useful versions:

- **Paid CAC** uses ad spend alone. It's the fair way to compare channels.
- **Fully loaded CAC** adds agency fees, creative, influencers and tools. It's the honest cost of growth.

### Worked example

In one month a brand spends **$12,000** on ads and **$3,000** on an agency and creative, and gains **300** new customers whose first orders average **$75**.

paid CAC = $12,000 ÷ 300 = $40
fully loaded CAC = $15,000 ÷ 300 = $50
first order ÷ CAC = $75 ÷ $50 = 1.5×

The first order brings in 1.5× the CAC in revenue. Whether that's profitable depends on margin: at a 54% contribution margin, the $75 order keeps about $40, short of the $50 CAC, so the second order has to close the gap.

See what a customer is worth over time with the [customer lifetime value calculator](/tools/customer-lifetime-value-calculator).

With Ordinary

## CAC by channel, and when each channel's customers pay it back.

The number that's hard to get is new customers by channel. Ad platforms count conversions, not first-time buyers, and they can't see who already bought from you.

Ordinary reads your Shopify orders, tells first orders from repeat ones, and sets ad spend against the new customers each channel acquired. The Cohorts report then tracks how much of that acquisition cost each month's customers have paid back as they keep ordering.

[Connect your store](https://apps.shopify.com/ordinary-attribution-ab-testing) [How customer analytics works](/solutions/customer-analytics)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is customer acquisition cost?

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is what you spend, on average, to win one new customer. It's your acquisition spend for a period divided by the number of first-time customers you gained in that period.

### What should be included in CAC?

Paid CAC uses ad spend only. Fully loaded CAC also includes the other costs of acquiring customers, such as agency fees, creative production, influencer payments and acquisition tools. Use paid CAC to compare channels and fully loaded CAC to judge the business.

### Should returning customers count in CAC?

No. Dividing by every customer who ordered, including repeat buyers you would have had anyway, makes CAC look far cheaper than it is. Count first-time customers only.

### What is a good CAC for an ecommerce brand?

A good CAC is one your customers pay back. Compare it with customer lifetime value: a lifetime value of at least three times CAC, measured on gross profit, is a common benchmark. A CAC the first order covers on its own is safer still.

### What's the difference between CAC and CPA?

CPA is the cost per acquisition of any conversion, usually any order, as the ad platform defines it. CAC is the cost per new customer. A campaign that mostly re-sells to existing customers can have a low CPA and a very high CAC.

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- [03 / Calculator↗ Customer lifetime value calculator LTV in revenue and gross profit, plus your LTV:CAC ratio.](/tools/customer-lifetime-value-calculator)
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