How long until a customer pays for themselves?

Every customer costs something to win. This tool tells you how long it takes to earn that money back — and whether your business economics are working in your favour.

What kind of business do you run?

Subscriptions, retainers, memberships, or repeat contracts. Customers pay you every month or on a regular schedule. Examples: SaaS products, gyms, agencies on retainer, cleaning services.

Your Numbers

How do you want to enter your acquisition cost? What it costs to win one new customer

Cost to win one new customer

What each customer pays you per month Average across all your paying customers

Subscription or retainer businesses: enter the average monthly amount per customer. If customers pay quarterly or annually, divide by the number of months in their term.

Your gross margin % What is left after your direct costs

Include only direct costs — materials, delivery, payment processing fees, hosting. Do not include rent, salaries, or general overheads. Example: if you charge 200 and it costs 60 to deliver, your margin is 70%.

How many customers stop each month? Optional — improves your 3-year profit calculation

Out of every 100 customers you have today, how many will have left by next month? Example: if 3 out of 100 cancel each month, enter 3. Leave blank if you are not sure.

This tool is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, accounting, or business advice. Results are illustrative and based solely on the figures you enter. For decisions affecting your business, please consult a qualified professional. CorpDoc is not liable for actions taken based on this tool.

🟢 Under 6 months / 1 purchase	Excellent. Your growth can largely self-fund. Each customer starts contributing to profit fast.
🟡 6–12 months / 2 purchases	Good. Healthy numbers. You need some cash reserves to fund growth, but the maths behind your business works.
🟠 12–18 months / 3–4 purchases	Watch closely. Growth is cash-hungry. Reduce acquisition cost or improve margin before scaling.
🔴 Over 18 months / 5+ purchases	Critical. Scaling at this cost level requires significant outside funding. Revisit pricing, costs, or how you find customers.

How long until a customer pays for themselves?

Let us review your numbers and your growth assumptions together.