Maximum Acquisition-Cost Allowance Calculator

How the maximum acquisition-cost allowance calculator works

Multiply expected orders by revenue per order less variable cost per order. This is customer contribution over the horizon you choose; no retention or lifespan estimate is supplied by the calculator.

Deduct onboarding cost once and the fixed profit allowance. Floor any nonnegative remaining amount to whole cents for the maximum acquisition-cost allowance; this avoids a rounded maximum exceeding the exact available budget. The signed contribution surplus separately rounds half-up for display and can therefore appear one cent higher. A negative surplus returns a zero maximum and an explicit infeasibility message.

Use realistic contribution and include each cost once. The output is not a recommended bid, proof of affordability or a prediction of lifetime value. Collection timing, funding capacity, taxes, customer variation and discounting are outside this simple allowance.

Worked example

Five expected orders at $100 revenue and $60 variable cost produce $200 contribution per customer. Subtract $20 onboarding and an $80 profit allowance to leave $100 for acquisition. If only three orders are expected, the allowance falls to $20.

Sources and assumptions

The source material explains the underlying calculation or pricing structure. Entered prices, costs, schedules and scenario choices are your assumptions; this tool does not obtain supplier quotes or predict actual results.

• HubSpot: acquisition costs and customer cohorts