The CAC Payback Calculator
How Fast Does Your Growth Actually Pay Back?
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) payback is one of the clearest measures of capital efficiency for consumer and CPG brands. As marketing costs rise and growth capital tightens, understanding how long it takes to earn back every acquisition dollar is essential for sustainable scaling.
For modern consumer brands, efficiency is the new growth. Your CAC Payback Period connects marketing performance directly to financial outcomes, helping teams:
Align finance and growth around a shared metric of efficiency
Evaluate capital allocation and predict cash recovery
Model ROI for new campaigns or pricing changes
Track how retention and LTV shifts affect long-term margin health
What’s Inside
How gross margin, fulfillment costs, and contribution margin impact payback timelines
How repeat purchase behavior and retention shorten or extend CAC recovery
How changes in AOV or margin meaningfully shift payback periods
How long it takes for new customers to become cash-positive
A clear view of how acquisition strategy affects cash flow and working capital
Designed for CPG founders, finance leaders, and growth teams, this tool provides a clear, data-driven framework for understanding how quickly your growth investments turn into cash flow, and where small improvements can compound into real profitability.
Use the calculator to see how fast your growth really pays you back.