Contribution Margin Calculator

The most-overlooked metric in DTC and consumer subscription. Contribution margin shows what's actually left after all variable costs — what you can spend on acquisition, retention, and reinvestment. Compare your result to industry benchmarks and learn what to do about it.

Revenue per order / customer ($)

AOV for one-time purchases, monthly revenue for subscription

Industry (for benchmark context)

Cost of goods sold (COGS) ($)

Product cost, manufacturing, raw materials

Shipping & fulfillment ($)

Outbound shipping, packaging, warehousing per order

Payment processing ($)

~3% of revenue is typical for card transactions

Returns / refund cost ($)

Average return rate × cost per return

Customer service / support ($)

Variable support cost per order

Other variable costs ($)

Marketplace fees, SaaS variable infra, etc.

Contribution margin per order

Revenue minus all variable costs

CM %

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Industry CM benchmark

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Max sustainable CAC

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What this means Enter your numbers and select an industry to see contextual analysis.

Open blank Google Sheet ↗ Open blank Google Doc ↗

After download: open the file above, click cell A1 (or click into the doc), and paste (Cmd/Ctrl+V).

Free training · DTC unit economics

Master contribution margin and the math that lets you outspend competitors

Contribution margin is what determines your allowable CAC — and your allowable CAC determines your speed in winning market share. RGM's DTC and unit-economics training shows how these connect.

Start the training →

Sources for benchmark ranges

Common Thread Collective — DTC contribution margin benchmarks
Pacific Crest / KeyBanc — SaaS contribution margin reports
OpenView Partners — SaaS Benchmarks Report
Bain & Company — consumer subscription economics research
RGM operator notes — DTC and SaaS engagements 2023–2026

Done

Contribution Margin Calculator

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