{
  "id": "v20-ca-cac",
  "version": "20.16.0",
  "name": "Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator — Canada",
  "shortName": "Customer Acquisition Cost",
  "description": "Calculate acquisition cost using a matched spending window and paying-customer cohort rather than divide by every new sign-up. CAD planning view; stated limitations apply.",
  "category": "Finance",
  "categorySlug": "finance",
  "keywords": [
    "cac",
    "ca",
    "business-finance",
    "business-metrics"
  ],
  "status": "live",
  "workStatus": "pending",
  "reviewStatus": "pending",
  "migrationStatus": "new",
  "engine": "native",
  "creator": null,
  "reviewer": null,
  "quality": {
    "availability": "live",
    "technicalReviewRecord": "/reviews/v20-ca-cac.json",
    "qualifiedReview": "pending",
    "qualifiedReviewer": null,
    "qualifiedReviewDate": null,
    "formulaVersion": "20.16.0",
    "referenceCoverage": "references-listed",
    "releaseTestScope": "Catalog and regression checks are not a professional formula audit; consult release evidence.",
    "historicalMetadataDate": "",
    "historicalMetadataNotice": "The imported date is not evidence of a completed human review."
  },
  "notice": "Illustrative defaults are not local quotes or verified legal rules. Dated reference components and user-entered assumptions are explicitly distinguished. Professional review is pending.",
  "urls": {
    "page": "/ca/cac/",
    "definition": "/ca/cac/definition.json",
    "schema": "/ca/cac/schema.json",
    "llms": "/ca/cac/llms.txt",
    "legacyDefinition": "/ca/cac/definition.json"
  },
  "queryExample": "https://askcalculators.com/ca/cac/?spend=30000&newCustomers=100&ltv=1200&monthlyGrossProfit=60",
  "queryParameters": {
    "spend": {
      "label": "Fully scoped acquisition spending in the chosen cohort window",
      "type": "money",
      "required": true,
      "default": 30000
    },
    "newCustomers": {
      "label": "New paying customers attributed to that spending",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "default": 100
    },
    "ltv": {
      "label": "Comparable contribution LTV",
      "type": "money",
      "required": true,
      "default": 1200
    },
    "monthlyGrossProfit": {
      "label": "Monthly gross profit per new customer",
      "type": "money",
      "required": true,
      "default": 60
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "spend",
      "label": "Fully scoped acquisition spending in the chosen cohort window",
      "type": "money",
      "defaultValue": 30000,
      "required": true,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 1000000000000,
      "step": 0.01,
      "prefix": "CAD",
      "help": "Illustrative starting value; replace with your own evidence."
    },
    {
      "id": "newCustomers",
      "label": "New paying customers attributed to that spending",
      "type": "number",
      "defaultValue": 100,
      "required": true,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100000000,
      "step": 1,
      "help": "Illustrative starting value; replace with your own evidence."
    },
    {
      "id": "ltv",
      "label": "Comparable contribution LTV",
      "type": "money",
      "defaultValue": 1200,
      "required": true,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 1000000000000,
      "step": 0.01,
      "prefix": "CAD",
      "help": "Illustrative starting value; replace with your own evidence."
    },
    {
      "id": "monthlyGrossProfit",
      "label": "Monthly gross profit per new customer",
      "type": "money",
      "defaultValue": 60,
      "required": true,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 1000000000000,
      "step": 0.01,
      "prefix": "CAD",
      "help": "Illustrative starting value; replace with your own evidence."
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "cac",
      "label": "Cost per acquired paying customer",
      "format": "currency",
      "digits": 2,
      "primary": true,
      "currency": "CAD"
    },
    {
      "id": "ltvCac",
      "label": "Contribution LTV / CAC",
      "format": "number",
      "digits": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "payback",
      "label": "Simple gross-profit payback, months",
      "format": "number",
      "digits": 2
    }
  ],
  "formula": {
    "expression": "CAC = scoped acquisition spending ÷ attributable new paying customers.",
    "note": "Inputs are converted to canonical units before evaluating this stated formula."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "label": "Illustrative defaults; required verification checks remain unconfirmed",
      "inputs": {
        "unitSystem": "metric",
        "spend": 30000,
        "newCustomers": 100,
        "ltv": 1200,
        "monthlyGrossProfit": 60
      }
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Stripe CAC payback method",
      "url": "https://stripe.com/resources/more/what-is-the-cac-payback-period"
    },
    {
      "label": "Stripe customer lifetime value",
      "url": "https://stripe.com/resources/more/customer-lifetime-value"
    }
  ],
  "publicSlug": "cac",
  "namespace": "ca",
  "countries": [
    "us",
    "ca",
    "uk",
    "ie"
  ]
}