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
Cost per new client acquired
$141.18
Estimated client lifetime value
$3,720
Lifetime value to CAC ratio
26.35
Payback period
2.7
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How to use this
- 1Enter marketing/promotion spend for period ($).
- 2Enter new active clients gained.
- 3Enter average annual revenue per client ($).
- 4Enter average client relationship length (years).
- 5Read your cost per new client acquired on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Marketing spend without tracking acquisition cost against client lifetime value is just an expense with an unknown return. This calculator divides total marketing and new-client promotion spend for a period by the number of new active clients gained, then compares that acquisition cost to the estimated lifetime value of an average client to compute a payback period and a value ratio, which is the number that tells you whether the marketing budget is actually working.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Marketing/promotion spend for period: 12000 $
- New active clients gained: 85
- Average annual revenue per client: 620 $
- Average client relationship length: 6 years
Results
- Cost per new client acquired: $141.18
- Estimated client lifetime value: $3,720
- Lifetime value to CAC ratio: 26.35
- Payback period: 2.7
What each field means
Inputs
- Marketing/promotion spend for period ($)
- The marketing/promotion spend for period used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 12000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- New active clients gained
- The new active clients gained used in the calculation. Starts at 85 so you have a working example on load.
- Average annual revenue per client ($)
- The average annual revenue per client used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 620 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Average client relationship length (years)
- The average client relationship length used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 6 years so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Cost per new client acquired
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Estimated client lifetime value
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Lifetime value to CAC ratio
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Payback period
- Returned as a length of time. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a good lifetime-value-to-CAC ratio for a vet or dental practice?
A ratio of 3:1 or higher is generally considered healthy — it means each new client is worth at least three times what it cost to acquire them, leaving room to cover service delivery costs and profit. A ratio near or below 1:1 means marketing is barely breaking even against the revenue those clients generate.
Should referral incentives count as marketing spend?
Yes — any cost paid specifically to acquire a new client, including referral credits, new-patient exam discounts, or welcome offers, belongs in the numerator. Leaving them out understates true acquisition cost and makes campaigns look more efficient than they are.
How long should payback take to be considered reasonable?
Most practices target recovering acquisition cost within 6-12 months of a new client's first visit. Longer payback periods aren't automatically bad if lifetime value is strong, but they do mean the practice is fronting more cash before that marketing spend pays for itself.
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.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). New Client Acquisition Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/new-client-acquisition-cost-vet
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/new-client-acquisition-cost-vet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Client Acquisition Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [New Client Acquisition Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/new-client-acquisition-cost-vet) (2026).