CAC
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Customer acquisition cost |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Business & Finance, Military, Medical |
CAC has four meanings. The most common are Customer acquisition cost (marketing & advertising) and Common Access Card (military term); it can also stand for Coronary artery calcium and Central air conditioning.
Meanings of CAC at a glance
| # | CAC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer acquisition cost | Business & Finance › Marketing & Advertising |
| 2 | Common Access Card | Military › Military Term |
| 3 | Coronary artery calcium | Medical › Cardiology |
| 4 | Central air conditioning | Business & Finance › Real Estate & Mortgage |
1. Customer acquisition cost
Business & Finance · Marketing & Advertising Abbreviations
Total sales and marketing cost of winning new customers in a period divided by the number of new customers acquired. Including salaries, tools and agency fees, not just ad spend, gives the "fully loaded" figure.
Example: Our blended CAC is $410, and payback on the subscription takes about seven months.
Subscription businesses compare CAC with customer lifetime value, and an LTV-to-CAC ratio of about 3:1 is a widely quoted rule of thumb from software investors. CAC payback period, the months of gross profit needed to recover CAC, is another common test. Paid CAC (ads only) is always lower than blended CAC, which also counts organic customers.
2. Common Access Card
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Department of Defense smart card used as identification for active-duty members, reservists, civilian employees and eligible contractors, and to log on to government computers and networks.
Example: Insert your CAC to sign the document digitally and submit it.
Pronounced "kack." The card contains digital certificates for email encryption and signatures. Replacing a lost CAC usually requires a lost-card report from the member's unit or security office. Family members and retirees receive a different uniformed services ID card rather than a CAC.
3. Coronary artery calcium
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries measured by a low-dose, noncontrast CT scan and reported as an Agatston score. It refines heart attack risk in adults whose calculated risk is borderline or intermediate, helping decide whether to start a statin.
Example: CAC score 0 at age 52; statin deferred and repeat scan considered in 5 years.
The Agatston method, described in 1990, multiplies plaque area by a density factor; scores of 0, 1 to 99, 100 to 399 and 400 or more indicate rising risk, and 100 or more generally favors statin therapy. A score of zero predicts low near-term risk but does not exclude soft, noncalcified plaque. The scan takes minutes and is often self-paid.
4. Central air conditioning
Business & Finance · Real Estate & Mortgage Abbreviations
Listing shorthand for a ducted central cooling system that serves the whole home, as opposed to window or wall units.
Example: Renovated colonial with CAC, new boiler and updated electric.
Homes with radiator heating often lack ductwork, so CAC is a notable upgrade in older northeastern housing stock. In marketing, CAC means customer acquisition cost.
Related abbreviations
More marketing & advertising abbreviations
- BANT – Budget, authority, need, timeline
- BOFU – Bottom of the funnel
- BTL – Below the line
- C2C – Consumer-to-consumer
- CDP – Customer data platform
- CES – Customer effort score
- CLV – Customer lifetime value
- CPA – Cost per acquisition
See all 111 marketing & advertising abbreviations →
More military term abbreviations
- BUD/S – Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training
- BX – Base exchange
- C2 – Command and control
- C4ISR – Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence…
- CACO – Casualty Assistance Calls Officer
- CAP – Combat air patrol
- CAS – Close air support
- CASEVAC – Casualty evacuation
See all 248 military term abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.