Payback period calculator

Simple payback period = initial investment ÷ constant net cash inflow per period.

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Initial investment

Net cash inflow per period

Answer

…

Simple payback period = initial investment ÷ constant net cash inflow per period.

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Precision and calculation record

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Rounding changes displayed numbers, not the calculation. Text, fractions, matrices and CSV schedules keep their own formatting. Automatic keeps up to 12 significant digits, with money shown to cents where applicable.

Step-by-step calculation

Inputs are substituted below. Each line evaluates the next operation; intermediate values are displayed to 12 significant digits while the calculation uses full precision.

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Formula and assumptions

Assumes equal inflows and does not discount money over time. Uneven or negative future cash flows need a cash-flow schedule.

Automatic precision shows numbers to 12 significant digits. Thousands separators such as 1,000 are accepted; use a dot for decimals.

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Updated 2026-09-26

Using Payback period calculator

Simple payback period = initial investment ÷ constant net cash inflow per period.

Assumes equal inflows and does not discount money over time. Uneven or negative future cash flows need a cash-flow schedule.

Next: Calculate CAC LTV

A worked example

With initial investment = 12000, net cash inflow per period = 3000, the simple payback periods is 4.

Next: Inventory turnover calculator

Before you use the result

Assumes equal inflows and does not discount money over time. Uneven or negative future cash flows need a cash-flow schedule.

Example results for initial investment

These examples use Net cash inflow per period: 3000. They are reference calculations, not recommended settings.

Initial investment	Simple payback periods
6000	2
12000	4
24000	8

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