Glossary/Measurement & Attribution/Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Measurement & Attribution
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
The total cost to acquire one new customer.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is the total cost to acquire one new customer, calculated by dividing sales and marketing expenses by the number of new customers gained over a period. It is a core measure of growth efficiency and is often compared with customer lifetime value to judge whether acquisition spending is sustainable.