Running a fintech company means making fast decisions with limited visibility. That’s why tracking the right metrics each week matters more than ever.
These ten numbers give you a clear view of what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus. They’re not for show — they’re what smart CEOs use to stay in control and move fast.
Content:
1. WAU
Weekly Active Users
WAU tracks how many unique users are actively engaging with your product in a seven-day period. Whether you’re running a consumer banking app, a trading platform, or a budgeting tool, WAU gives you a direct line of sight into product engagement and traction.
Which values should you aim for?
A WAU/MAU (monthly active users) ratio above 20% is generally considered a strong engagement benchmark. But the real value lies in consistency — you want to see week-over-week growth.
Why WAU matters
If your WAU is flat or declining, it’s a sign that users are either not getting value or not returning. Tracking it weekly helps you catch product or onboarding issues early — before they hit your revenue.
How to calculate WAU
Count the number of unique users who performed a meaningful action — such as logging in, transacting, or completing a key task — within the last 7 days.
2. GPV
Gross Payment Volume
GPV measures the total dollar value of all transactions processed on your platform. It’s essential for fintechs in payments, lending, or crypto — where the volume of money moving through your system is a key performance indicator.
Which values should you aim for?
Aim for steady, compounding growth. In the early stages, double-digit monthly growth is a healthy sign that users trust your platform for real transactions.
Why GPV matters
GPV shows both scale and trust. If users are moving significant sums through your platform, you’re solving a real problem. If volume drops unexpectedly, it could point to churn, outages, or a competitor pulling users away.
How to calculate GPV
Add up the value of all successfully completed transactions within a given time period. Be sure to exclude refunds, test payments, or failed transactions.
3. MRR
Monthly Recurring Revenue
MRR is the total predictable revenue your company earns from subscriptions or contracts each month. For fintechs operating on SaaS or recurring billing models, this is your most important revenue anchor.
Which values should you aim for?
Early-stage fintechs should aim for 5–15% month-over-month MRR growth. Later-stage companies should focus on net new MRR — the absolute dollar growth, not just percentage gains.
Why MRR matters
MRR reflects revenue quality. Unlike one-time transactions, it gives you visibility into how much income you can count on, which helps with planning, hiring, and raising capital.
How to calculate MRR
Multiply the number of active paying users by the average revenue per user (ARPU). For annual contracts, divide by 12 to reflect monthly value.
Burn rate is the amount of cash your company is spending each month, net of any revenue. It’s a core financial health metric and one of the first things any CFO or investor will ask about.
Which values should you aim for?
There’s no universal number, but the goal is to balance growth with sustainability. A controlled burn with strong unit economics is far more attractive than a high burn chasing vanity growth.
Why burn rate matters
If you’re burning too fast, you’ll run out of cash — regardless of traction. If you’re burning too slowly, you may not be growing aggressively enough. Weekly tracking helps you stay proactive.
How to calculate burn rate
Subtract total monthly revenue from total monthly expenses. If expenses exceed revenue, the result is your net monthly burn.
Runway tells you how many months your business can operate at its current burn rate before running out of cash. It’s a critical planning metric for any startup managing capital cycles.
Which values should you aim for?
12 months of runway is the minimum. If fundraising conditions are uncertain, aim for 18–24 months to stay ahead of the curve.
Why runway matters
Runway is your strategic breathing room. It dictates how aggressively you can grow, when you need to fundraise, and how much leverage you have when you do.
How to calculate runway
Divide your current cash balance by your monthly net burn rate. For example, if you have $600,000 in the bank and burn $50,000 per month, you have 12 months of runway.
Customer Acquisition Cost
CAC tells you how much you’re spending to acquire each paying customer. It includes all marketing, sales, and related overhead tied to customer acquisition.
Which values should you aim for?
A healthy CAC is one-third or less of your customer’s lifetime value. The industry rule of thumb is an LTV:CAC ratio of at least 3:1.
Why CAC matters
If it costs more to acquire a customer than they’re worth, your growth isn’t sustainable. CAC also tells you whether your acquisition channels are performing efficiently.
How to calculate CAC
Divide your total acquisition spend over a given period by the number of new paying customers acquired in that same timeframe.
LTV estimates how much revenue you can expect to earn from a customer over the entire duration of their relationship with your business. It’s a key component in understanding the long-term value of your user base.
Which values should you aim for?
Your LTV should be at least 3x your CAC. If it’s lower, you’ll struggle to profitably scale.
Why LTV matters
High LTV means your customers are sticking around, spending more, and generating better returns. It also gives you room to be more competitive on acquisition.
How to calculate LTV
Multiply the average revenue per user (ARPU) by the average customer lifespan in months or years. For higher accuracy, factor in gross margin.
Gross margin tells you how much of your revenue remains after covering the direct costs of delivering your product or service. It’s a key signal of operating leverage.
Which values should you aim for?
Fintech SaaS companies typically aim for 60–70% gross margins. Best-in-class platforms reach 80% or higher.
Why gross margin matters
A high gross margin gives you more flexibility to invest in growth, product, and people. It also indicates pricing power and operational efficiency.
How to calculate gross margin
Gross Margin = (Revenue – Cost of Goods Sold) ÷ Revenue. Expressed as a percentage.
9. NPS
Net Promoter Score
NPS is a simple but powerful measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction. It’s based on how likely your users are to recommend your product to others.
Which values should you aim for?
In fintech, an NPS of 50 or above is considered excellent. Scores above 70 are elite and typically associated with strong word-of-mouth growth.
Why NPS matters
NPS is a leading indicator of churn and referral potential. It helps you understand how customers really feel about your experience — and whether they’ll advocate for you.
How to calculate NPS
Ask customers to rate their likelihood to recommend your product on a scale of 0–10. Subtract the percentage of detractors (0–6) from the percentage of promoters (9–10).
Time to Value (TTV) measures how long it takes a new user to experience their first meaningful outcome with your product. The shorter the TTV, the more likely they are to stay engaged.
Which values should you aim for?
You want TTV to be measured in days — not weeks. The faster you deliver value, the higher your activation and retention rates will be.
Why TTV matters
First impressions matter. If users don’t see value quickly, they churn. TTV gives you a clear target for onboarding, UX, and customer education improvements.
How to calculate TTV
Track the time from user sign-up to a key success milestone — such as their first transaction, approval, or completed action that signals value delivery.
A few tips for fintech founders
Tracking the right metrics is just the start; how you act on them matters just as much. Here are a few principles to keep in mind as you scale:
- Review your key metrics every week — not just before board meetings.
- Focus on trends over snapshots. The direction of a number often matters more than its size.
- Keep your dashboards simple. Prioritize clarity over complexity.
- Make sure your team understands what each metric means and how their work influences it.
- Don’t chase growth at any cost — sustainable growth with solid margins and retention is what builds real value.
Looking to sharpen your metrics or build a better growth strategy? Let’s talk. We help fintech teams translate data into direction.
