Retention, churn & expansion · Working
Customer lifetime
Also called: customer lifespan
ELI5
The period a customer remains active or economically valuable under a stated definition.
Used in conversation
“Compare customer lifetime with the same cohort and period before drawing a conclusion.”
Pitch context
You will see “Customer lifetime” in go-to-market plans, sales forecasts, account reviews and commercial proposals when the discussion reaches retention, churn & expansion.
Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret retention, churn & expansion without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.
Sources & evidence · 2
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Write your business planSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- IFRS Foundation — IFRS GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16