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What's the latest median CAC payback for Series B SaaS?
**Median CAC payback for Series B SaaS in Q2 2026 is 14.2 months (up from 12 months in 2024). Higher for horizontal SaaS (16-18 months), lower for vertical/SMB-focused (8-12 months). CAC has grown 18% YoY because sales reps now cost $180K+ (was $130K in 2022) and acquisition cost is up across channels.
CAC payback benchmark (Q2 2026, by segment):
- Vertical SaaS — 8-11 months (high NDR, lower CAC)
- SMB SaaS — 10-13 months (product-led, some freemium)
- Mid-market SaaS — 14-16 months (sales-heavy, longer cycles)
- Enterprise SaaS — 18-22 months (small deals, long cycles, high CAC)
- Horizontal SaaS — 16-18 months (commoditized, high competition)
Pavilion data (Series B benchmark): median CAC is $28,000 (up from $24,000 in 2024); median annual contract value is $42,000; median payback = 8 months in cash terms, 14.2 months in blended terms (accounting for time-to-revenue). Companies with <12-month payback are in the top quartile.
CAC payback by geography:
| Geography | Median CAC | Median ACV | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $35K-40K | $50K-60K | 14.5 months |
| New York | $28K-32K | $40K-48K | 14.2 months |
| Texas | $22K-26K | $38K-45K | 13.8 months |
| Remote (distributed) | $18K-22K | $35K-42K | 13.2 months |
What's changed (2022 → 2026):
- Sales rep blended cost: +38% ($130K → $180K including benefits + quota carry)
- Marketing spend per lead: +22% (more platforms, higher CAC per channel)
- Sales cycle length: +12% (longer deal cycles across industries)
- Net result: CAC payback extended by 2.2 months
gantt
title CAC Payback Timeline (Series B SaaS, 14.2 months)
section Payback
Month 1: m1, 0, 1m
Months 2-4: lead_acq, 1m, 3m
Months 5-8: ramp, 4m, 4m
Months 9-12: contribution, 8m, 4m
Months 13-14.2: ROI, 12m, 2.2m
TAGS: cac-payback, series-b-metrics, sales-unit-economics, payback-benchmark, saas-metrics
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Sources cited
bvp.comhttps://www.bvp.com/atlas/state-of-the-cloud-2026iconiqcapital.comhttps://www.iconiqcapital.com/insights/state-of-saasopenviewpartners.comhttps://openviewpartners.com/saas-benchmarks/keybanccm.comhttps://www.keybanccm.com/insights/saas-survey⌬ Apply this in PULSE
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