Subscription Box Pricing Calculator
Price a subscription box from box cost, shipping, fees, churn and acquisition cost, so each subscriber pays back what it took to win them.
Your numbers
Your result · updates as you type
Sustainable price per box
$48.79
Set by your 35% margin target. It also clears 3× LTV:CAC at 10% churn.
- Contribution per box
- $17.08
- Lifetime value
- $170.77
- CAC payback
- 2.3 boxes
Round the price to a clean number and test it. A lower first-box offer is fine, as long as you add its cost to CAC.
Breakdown
- Cost of each box (products, packaging, packing, shipping)
- $30.00
- Price for 35% margin
- $48.79
- Price for 3× LTV:CAC
- $43.56
- Recommended (the higher of the two)
- $48.79
- Fees per box
- −$1.71
- Average subscriber lifetime
- 10 months
- LTV ÷ CAC
- 4.27×
Two tests every box price must pass
- Margin per box. Each box should leave your target share after products, packaging, packing, shipping and fees.
- Lifetime value vs acquisition cost. A subscriber stays about 1 ÷ monthly churn months. Their total contribution should be a healthy multiple of what it cost to win them.
Example: the default numbers
- Box cost
- $18 + $2.50 + $2 + $7.50 = $30.00
- Fees
- 2.9% + $0.30
- For a 35% margin
- 30.30 ÷ 0.621 = $48.79
- For 3× LTV:CAC ($40 CAC, 10% churn)
- (30.30 + 12) ÷ 0.971 = $43.56
The higher of the two, $48.79, is the sustainable price. Each box contributes $17.08, a subscriber is worth $170.77 over 10 months, and LTV:CAC is 4.27×.
Selling subscriptions on Shopify and WooCommerce
- 01
Shopify
Subscriptions are sold through a subscription app. Check whether yours charges a share of revenue on top of its plan, and enter it in Subscription app fee.
- 02
WooCommerce
Recurring payments need a subscriptions extension. Check which payment gateways it supports for automatic renewals.
- 03
Prepaid plans
3 and 6-month prepaid plans lower effective churn and bring cash in upfront. Test them alongside monthly billing.
Pitfalls
- First-box offers are an acquisition cost. Add the discount to CAC rather than lowering the box price.
- Shipping creep. Heavier or bigger boxes can jump a carrier price band. Weigh a packed box before you set the price.
- Churn estimates. Early subscribers often cancel faster than later ones. Recheck churn after a few months of real data.
Questions people ask
How do you price a subscription box?
Cover the full cost of each box with your target margin, then check that the contribution over a subscriber's lifetime pays back acquisition cost. Use the higher of the two prices.
What is a good LTV to CAC ratio?
Many subscription businesses aim for about 3×, but it's a rule of thumb, not a standard. Set your own target in the calculator.
How does churn affect my price?
Higher churn means fewer boxes to pay back acquisition cost, so each box has to carry more. The bars show LTV:CAC at different churn rates.
Should shipping be included in the box price?
Test both. Included shipping makes a clean offer. Charging it separately lowers the headline price. Enter what subscribers pay in Shipping charged to subscribers.
Related tools
Want this builtinto your store?
I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.
Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.