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Also known as: customer renewal rate, retention rate

Renewal Rate

ConceptualSalesMetrics

Definition

Renewal Rate: Renewal rate measures the percentage of customers or revenue that renews when contracts come up. Gross renewal rate counts only retained revenue; net renewal rate includes expansion. For subscription businesses, renewal rate is existential—small improvements compound dramatically over time. Most SaaS companies aim for 85%+ gross revenue renewal.

Example Usage

Improving our renewal rate from 82% to 90% was worth $2M in retained ARR that we would have lost.

Common Misconceptions

Renewal rate and retention rate are identical. Retention is continuous; renewal happens at specific contract moments.
Start thinking about renewal at renewal time. Renewal success starts with good onboarding and ongoing success.
Price drives renewals. Value realization and ROI matter more than price for most customers.

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