LTV (Customer Lifetime Value)
Name variants
- English
- LTV (Customer Lifetime Value)
- Kanji
- 顧客生涯価値
Quality / Updated / COI
- Quality
- Reviewed
- Updated
- Source
- Citations & Trust
- COI
- none
TL;DR
Customer lifetime value is the expected net value a customer generates over the entire relationship with a business.
Definition
LTV estimates how much revenue or gross profit a customer will contribute over time, after accounting for retention and churn. It helps companies decide how much they can spend to acquire and serve customers profitably. The concept links marketing, pricing, and service decisions to long-term profitability.
Decision impact
- Determines the maximum sustainable customer acquisition cost for each segment.
- Guides retention investments by quantifying the payoff of reducing churn.
- Informs pricing and upsell strategies that increase long-term value.
Key takeaways
- LTV depends on retention; small churn changes can have big value impact.
- Use contribution margin, not just revenue, for more accurate LTV.
- Segment-specific LTV reveals which customers are most profitable.
- Pair LTV with CAC to assess growth efficiency.
- Update LTV estimates as product, pricing, or behavior changes.
Misconceptions
- LTV is a single fixed number; it varies by segment and time.
- LTV can ignore servicing costs; support and onboarding costs matter.
- High LTV justifies any acquisition spend; payback period still matters.
Worked example
A subscription analytics tool calculates that customers stay an average of 18 months with $200 monthly gross margin. LTV is roughly $3,600. Marketing spend is capped at $1,200 CAC to maintain a 3:1 LTV-to-CAC ratio. When churn rises, the firm invests in onboarding because a small retention improvement increases LTV significantly.
Citations & Trust
- Principles of Marketing (OpenStax)