Maximum affordable customer acquisition cost

The maximum CAC is not a market average. It is a limit set by your unit economics.

You can pay up to the contribution profit a customer generates over the selected horizon. For a first-purchase horizon, maximum CAC equals contribution from the first order. Target CAC is lower: it equals contribution multiplied by the share S the business is willing to allocate to acquisition.

What to consider

First calculate contribution per sale: average order value minus variable costs and taxes or fees tied to the sale.
The acquisition share S sets target CAC: target CAC = contribution × S. The remaining share (1 − S) stays with the business for fixed costs and profit.
State the horizon explicitly: first purchase and repeat purchases are separate.

What stays the same across scenarios

Average order value and variable costs come from your own business economics, not industry averages.
Enter your own taxes and fees; this is not tax advice.

What changes or is assumed

S is a management choice that leaves room for fixed costs. Do not confuse it with the share kept by the business.
Repeat-purchase profit is excluded while the horizon is set to first purchase.

Calculation steps

Calculate contribution per sale.
Multiply contribution by the acquisition share S to get target CAC.
Check maximum CAC as the limit above which advertising does not pay back.

Build the calculation in a calculator

The example also carries: Taxes and fees: 0 (currency); Purchases per customer: 1 (count); Calculation horizon: first purchase (first purchase / full horizon).

Illustrative example: Open the example: order value 5,000 ₽, variable costs 3,000 ₽, acquisition share 30%

Editorial team: MARKMA Editorial Team. Reviewed: 2026-09-25.