How do I calculate my true CAC, not just what the ad platform reports?
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.
Go deeper
4 resources, 2 India-specific, 3 link-checked.
📄 Article
✓ Link checkedIndiaFreeBeginner
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.
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.
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.
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.
