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# Set up my acquisition costs

# What is CAC?


The **Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)** corresponds to the sum of marketing and sales expenses incurred to acquire a new customer, divided by the number of new customers acquired over the period.

**Formula applied by Fincome:**

**CAC = (Marketing + sales expenses over the period) / (Number of new customers over the period)**

By default, the calculation period is **3 rolling months**, which smooths out monthly variations in expenses.

Since your expense data does not automatically come up from your billing tools, you must import it manually via an Excel file. Once imported, Fincome calculates your CAC and lets you **filter and break it down** according to the dimensions you have defined (acquisition channel, customer size, industry, etc.).

---
# Step 1 — Access the import module

1. Go to the **Data** section from the left menu.
2. In the **Other** section, click **Acquisition costs**.

You then access the **cost integration** page, where you will find two clear steps: *Download the template* and *Import your file*.

| Tip: from this page, you can also click "See my CAC" (at the top right) to switch directly to the analysis of the metric.
---
# Step 2 — Download the pre-filled template

Click **Download the template**. The generated Excel file is:
* **Customized** with your existing dimensions in Fincome (Plan, Country, sector, industries, acquisition channel, etc.).
* **Pre-filled** with your previous import data, if you have already imported a file before.

**Good to know**: each new import **completely replaces the previous one**. So remember to always start from the last downloaded template to preserve the history of your data.

---
# Step 3 — Fill in your data in the file

The file has several blocks to complete, with monthly columns going from your start date to the current month.

### 1. Fill in the monthly totals (Total row)

This is the most important row: it corresponds to your **total acquisition expenses** (marketing + sales) per month, in euros.
|  | Aug 2017 | Sept. 2017 | … | May 2026 |
| ---- |
| **Total** | 12,000 | 14,500 | … | 25,800 |

### 2. Fill in the % breakdown by dimension

For each custom dimension (Plan, Outbound/Inbound, sector, industries, acquisition channel, etc.), indicate **the percentage share** of each expense by category.

**Example — breakdown by Outbound / Inbound channel:**
|  | May 2026 |
| ---- |
| Outbound | 60% |
| Inbound | 30% |
| Uncategorized | 10% |
| **check** | **0%** ✅ |

### 3. Check the check row

At the end of each dimension, a `**check**` row automatically adds up the percentages of the column. It must **imperatively** display **0%**.

||| Important: if the sum does not reach 0% on a dimension, the import will not work and your data cannot be integrated. Remember to carefully check each check row before importing your file.
---
# Step 4 — Import your file

1. Once the file is completed and saved, click **Select a file**.
2. Choose your Excel file.
3. The import is **immediate**: the data replaces the previously imported data, and your CAC is recalculated within seconds.

---
# Step 5 — View your CAC

Go to **Analytics → Unit economics → Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)**.

On this page, you can:
* **Filter** your CAC according to any imported dimension (e.g.: see only the Outbound CAC, or the France CAC).
* **Break down** the chart to compare several categories simultaneously.
* **Compare** several periods or enable the **Rolling** view.

---
# FAQ

###### My import failed, what should I do?
First, check that all the `check` rows of your file display **100%**: this is the most common cause of import failure. Also check that you are using the **last template downloaded** from Fincome, because the custom dimensions must match those configured in your account.

###### Why doesn't my CAC show up after the import?
CAC is calculated over a 3-rolling-month period by default. If you have only filled in one month of data, wait until you have at least 3 consecutive months filled in for the metric to appear.

###### Can I import only the Total row without filling in the dimensions?
Yes, that is possible. Your overall CAC will be calculated correctly, but you will not be able to filter or break it down by dimension.

###### What happens if I modify a custom dimension after importing?
The previously imported data remains in place, but the new category will have no breakdown. We recommend re-downloading the template and re-importing your data to stay aligned.