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How Long Until One Merchant Pays For Itself? Run the Math.

Quick answer: payback in months equals cost per acquired merchant divided by monthly residual per account. Pick a shared-lead CAC or work it from a booked-appointment price and your close rate, then see how many months it takes that one account to pay for itself.

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Sourced defaults, no signup Two acquisition paths, one formula Runs entirely in your browser
$200-1,600
Shared-Lead CAC Range
$250-450
VA Horizon Appointment Rate
$300
One-Time Setup
1-16
Kokoquest Payback Band, Months
The Calculator

Two ways to buy a merchant. One payback formula.

Pick your acquisition path on the left: a direct shared-lead CAC estimate, or VA Horizon's booked-appointment rate divided by your own close rate. Either way, the panel on the right shows the same payback math against your monthly residual per account.

Who this is for: A new agent weighing whether a cheap shared lead is actually cheap uses the shared-lead path. An established ISO buying booked appointments uses the appointment path to see how close rate, not just price, drives real acquisition cost. The payback math is identical either way.

Your Acquisition

Shared or purchased leads publish at $20 to $80 each, and at a 5 to 15% close rate, effectively cost $200 to $1,600 per acquired merchant. Source: kokoquest.com.

Published figures conflict: $30 to $80 (orderpin.co) versus $50 to $300 (kokoquest.com), both vendor-blog estimates. Set your own if you track one.

Your Acquisition Cost

Acquisition pathShared / Purchased Lead
Cost per acquired merchant$900
Monthly residual per account$100
Payback period9.0 mo

Payback In Context

Kokoquest sourced CAC band$200 - $1,600
Kokoquest sourced payback band1 - 16 mo
Your payback, at these settings9.0 mo
Months Until This Merchant Pays For Itself
9.0 Months

Every figure here is an estimate from the cost and residual you set above, not a guaranteed payback period or a VA Horizon performance claim. A higher close rate lowers acquisition cost on the appointment path and shortens payback either way.

How The Math Works

Cost per acquired merchant, not cost per lead.

kokoquest.com's own merchant services research argues that the price of one lead or one appointment isn't the real cost of acquisition, close rate is what turns that price into a cost per closed account. This calculator builds that framing into a tool with two acquisition paths so you can compare a shared lead against a booked appointment on the number that actually matters.

Shared-lead CAC

A direct estimate you set, informed by kokoquest.com's sourced $200 to $1,600 range for shared or purchased leads at typical close rates.

Appointment-path CAC

Cost per booked appointment divided by your close rate. A $350 appointment at 25% close produces a $1,400 cost per acquired merchant.

Payback period

Cost per acquired merchant divided by monthly residual per account. The number of months until that one merchant covers its own acquisition cost.

On the shared-lead path, kokoquest.com's underlying research estimates leads at $20 to $80 each, resold to multiple buyers, converting at a 5 to 15% close rate, which produces the $200 to $1,600 cost-per-acquired-merchant range used as this path's slider. On the appointment path, VA Horizon's own published $250 to $450 per-meeting merchant services rate stands in for the purchase price, and your close rate does the same conversion math live.

A cheap lead price does not automatically mean a cheap cost per acquired merchant, and an expensive appointment does not automatically mean a slow payback. Close rate decides. Run both paths with your own numbers before deciding which channel is actually cheaper for you.

Sources

Every default, traced to a source.

No number on this page is invented. Here is exactly where each default came from.

  • $200 to $1,600 shared-lead cost per acquired merchant, and the 1 to 16 month payback band: shared or purchased leads at $20 to $80 each, converting at a 5 to 15% close rate, against a $100 to $150 monthly residual. Source: kokoquest.com, merchant services lead generation resource.
  • $250 to $450 per booked meeting, plus the $300 one-time setup fee: published VA Horizon merchant services pricing. See how pricing works.
  • $30 to $80 and $50 to $300 monthly residual per account: two conflicting vendor-blog estimates. Source: orderpin.co and kokoquest.com.
  • Close rate on booked appointments: a user-adjustable input, not a sourced industry default. Set your own tracked close rate.
FAQ

CAC payback, answered.

What counts as "cost per acquired merchant" in this calculator?
It's the total cost to close one merchant account, not the price of one lead or one appointment. On the shared-lead path, it's a direct estimate you set. On the appointment path, it's calculated: your cost per booked appointment divided by your close rate, since not every appointment closes.
Where does the $200 to $1,600 shared-lead CAC range come from?
From kokoquest.com's merchant services lead generation resource, which estimates shared or purchased leads run $20 to $80 per lead, and at a 5 to 15% close rate on shared leads, the effective cost to acquire one merchant runs $200 to $1,600. It's a single-source estimate, directional rather than an audited industry standard.
How does the VA Horizon appointment path calculate cost per acquired merchant?
It divides VA Horizon's published $250 to $450 per-booked-meeting rate for merchant services by the close rate you set. A $350 appointment at a 25% close rate produces a $1,400 cost per acquired merchant. Raise your close rate and that figure drops, since fewer appointments are needed per closed account.
What's a normal payback period for merchant services CAC?
kokoquest.com's underlying math implies a 1 to 16 month payback period at a $100 to $150 monthly residual, depending on where your CAC falls in its $200 to $1,600 range. That's sourced context, not a target. Your own payback depends on your actual CAC and your actual monthly residual per account.
Is this calculator built for new agents, established ISOs, or both?
Both. A new agent (MLS) weighing whether to buy shared leads uses the shared-lead path to see the real payback behind a cheap-looking lead price. An established ISO buying booked appointments uses the appointment path to see how close rate, not just appointment price, drives its actual cost to acquire a merchant.

Shorten your payback with a better close rate input.

VA Horizon books exclusive, double-confirmed meetings with qualified merchants for ISOs and agents, Human + AI SDRs over SMS, never cold calls. Pay per booked meeting, no retainers, and a no-show never costs you a meeting. Book a 15-minute call to see your exact rate.

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