CAC Calculator
Fully-loaded Customer Acquisition Cost equals total acquisition cost (media + agency + tooling + creative + influencer) divided by new customers in the same period. Indian D2C beauty CAC bands sit between ₹350–₹1,200; B2B SaaS SMB ₹15,000–₹80,000. Add 7–12% on top for COD-return-adjusted CAC.
- Fully-loaded CAC = (media + agency + tooling + creative + influencer) ÷ new customers.
- Most founders underreport CAC by 25–35% by tracking media only.
- Pair with gross-margin LTV; LTV/CAC ≥ 3 is healthy.
First-purchase only — exclude reactivated lapsed customers.
Indian D2C COD share. Set 0 for non-COD businesses.
Return-to-origin rate on COD orders.
What most reports show
What you should optimize
After COD return cost
CAC = (Media + Agency + Tooling + Creative + Influencer) ÷ New Customers · Effective = CAC × (1 / (1 − COD% × RTO%))- Enter monthly acquisition costs across all five categories.
- Use first-purchase customer count only (not reactivated lapsed).
- Set COD share + RTO rate for India-specific drag adjustment.
- Compare Effective CAC to your gross-margin LTV — target LTV/CAC ≥ 3.
Frequently asked questions
Why is fully-loaded CAC different from CPA?
CPA is platform-reported (Meta CPA, Google CPA) and excludes agency, tooling, creative production, and influencer cost. Fully-loaded CAC includes everything. CAC is typically 25–35% higher than CPA for honest accounting.
Should I include reactivated lapsed customers?
No. Count only first-purchase customers in the period. Reactivated lapsed customers are retention, not new acquisition.
What's a healthy CAC for Indian D2C beauty?
₹350–₹1,200 depending on AOV. Anything above 60% of AOV needs urgent attention. Track LTV/CAC alongside — LTV/CAC ≥ 2.5 by month 12 is the goal.
How do I adjust for COD return cost?
If 40% of orders are COD with 18% return rate, multiply media-CAC by (1 / (1 − 0.4 × 0.18)) ≈ 1.072. Effective CAC is typically 7–12% higher than reported.
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