Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Campaign ROI
425%
Reactivated customers
600
Revenue generated
$42,000
Cost per reactivated customer
$6.67
Break-even win-back rate needed
0.76%
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How to use this
- 1Enter lapsed customer list size.
- 2Enter expected win-back (reactivation) rate (%).
- 3Enter average order value of reactivated customer ($).
- 4Enter gross margin (%).
- 5Enter total campaign cost (creative + send + incentive) ($).
- 6Read your campaign roi on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Win-back campaigns targeting lapsed customers usually have lower response rates than acquiring new customers through paid channels, but also lower cost per contact, so the ROI comparison isn't obvious without doing the math. This calculator takes the size of your lapsed customer list, expected win-back rate, average order value of a reactivated customer, retention margin, and campaign cost, then computes reactivated customers, revenue generated, and ROI, alongside a break-even win-back rate that shows the minimum response needed to justify the spend. It also estimates the effective cost per reactivated customer so you can compare it directly against your normal blended CAC — win-back campaigns that cost less per reactivated customer than fresh acquisition are usually worth running repeatedly, since the list is a sunk-cost asset that costs little to keep re-marketing to. Typical email/SMS win-back campaigns to lists lapsed 60-180 days see 2-8% reactivation rates depending on offer strength and list quality; lists lapsed over a year usually convert below 1-2% and are rarely worth a paid campaign, though a low-cost email pass often still clears break-even.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Lapsed customer list size: 15000
- Expected win-back (reactivation) rate: 4 %
- Average order value of reactivated customer: 70 $
- Gross margin: 50 %
- Total campaign cost (creative + send + incentive): 4000 $
Results
- Campaign ROI: 425%
- Reactivated customers: 600
- Revenue generated: $42,000
- Cost per reactivated customer: $6.67
- Break-even win-back rate needed: 0.76%
What each field means
Inputs
- Lapsed customer list size
- The lapsed customer list size used in the calculation. Starts at 15000 so you have a working example on load.
- Expected win-back (reactivation) rate (%)
- The expected win-back (reactivation) rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 4 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0.1–50 %.
- Average order value of reactivated customer ($)
- The average order value of reactivated customer used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 70 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Gross margin (%)
- The gross margin used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 50 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–95 %.
- Total campaign cost (creative + send + incentive) ($)
- The total campaign cost (creative + send + incentive) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Campaign ROI
- Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Reactivated customers
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Revenue generated
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost per reactivated customer
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Break-even win-back rate needed
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What win-back rate should I assume for planning?
For customers lapsed 60-180 days with a solid offer (10-20% off or a meaningful incentive), 3-6% reactivation via email/SMS is a reasonable planning range. Lists lapsed over a year typically fall below 1-2%, and cold lists with weak offers can run under 1%. Use your own past win-back campaign data if you have it rather than industry averages.
How does cost per reactivated customer compare to normal CAC?
Win-back campaigns often cost a fraction of paid acquisition CAC because the audience is already known, has usable contact info, and creative/send costs are low relative to media spend. If cost per reactivated customer here comes in well under your blended CAC, it's one of the better marginal-dollar opportunities you have.
Is it worth targeting customers lapsed over a year?
Usually only with a very low-cost channel like email, since response rates are low and some of those contacts have gone stale (bad emails, disinterest). A cheap email-only pass often still clears break-even even at a 0.5-1% response rate; a paid or SMS campaign to that same list segment often won't.
Should retention margin differ from acquisition margin?
Sometimes — reactivated customers may buy at a similar margin to any repeat customer, but if the win-back offer includes a discount, use the post-discount margin, not your standard gross margin, or you'll overstate the ROI.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Churn Win-Back Campaign ROI Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/churn-winback-roi-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/churn-winback-roi-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Churn Win-Back Campaign ROI Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Churn Win-Back Campaign ROI Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/churn-winback-roi-calculator) (2026).