How do I calculate my true CAC, not just what the ad platform reports?
The short answer
Platform-reported CAC only counts that platform's spend against that platform's claimed conversions, it ignores agency fees, tools, creative production and the fact that Meta and Google are both taking credit for the same sale. True (blended) CAC is total acquisition spend across every channel and vendor, divided by total new customers in that period, full stop. Track this monthly per channel and blended, the gap between platform-reported and blended CAC is usually where founders discover they're less profitable than the dashboard suggested.
A quick summary to orient you. The real value is below: the resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it, not us.
Here are the resources
Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time. India-specific ones carry a badge.
Why we picked it
Spells out the exact CAC, LTV and payback period formulas with an India lens, the most direct answer we found to 'how do I actually calculate this for my brand' rather than just defining the terms.
Why we picked it
Names the specific dashboard and metric stack Indian D2C brands actually use day to day, useful for founders deciding what to track first instead of building a 40-metric dashboard nobody looks at.
Why we picked it
A clean, no-nonsense glossary covering ROAS, CAC, MER, AOV and CPA in one place, the right first read before diving into any specific attribution debate.
Why we picked it
A free, ready-to-use spreadsheet to actually compute your LTV, CAC and ratio instead of eyeballing it, the fastest way to get from 'I think we're profitable' to a real number.
