CCustomer Acquisition Cost

CAC

Customer Acquisition Cost: the average cost to acquire a new customer.

Moritz Lambrecht

Updated: July 9, 2026

Definition

CAC stands for Customer Acquisition Cost. It compares the cost of acquiring new customers with the number of new customers won and shows whether growth is economically sustainable.

Also known as: Customer Acquisition Cost

Difference from CPO

CPO measures cost per order, while CAC measures cost per new customer. This distinction matters for repeat purchases, subscriptions, and customer lifetime value.

A campaign CPO can look efficient even when mostly existing customers buy. For growth targets, the new-customer share is critical.

Campaign steering

CAC should always be read with contribution margin, AOV, retention, and lifetime value.

Influencer campaigns can show higher short-term CAC while still creating stronger long-term cohorts when brand fit and community trust are high.

About the author

Moritz is an expert in data-driven influencer marketing as well as co-founder and CEO of the influencer marketing agency Ad Specialist. Together with his team, he has already implemented over 10,000 influencer campaigns and managed more than €50 million in advertising budgets for customers such as HelloFresh, Emma, Clark, mymuesli and many other well-known e-commerce companies. His focus is on helping e-commerce companies grow profitably through creative and measurable influencer marketing strategies on channels such as YouTube, Instagram and Twitch.

Through his performance-oriented and effective approach, he has built a reputation as a leading expert and speaker in German e-commerce. In this blog - as well as on LinkedIn and his YouTube channel - he regularly shares valuable insights about data-driven influencer marketing.

Learn more about Moritz