Published on 2025-06-26T04:34:26Z

What is ARPSU? Average Revenue Per Single User

ARPSU (Average Revenue Per Single User) is a key performance indicator in digital analytics that measures the average revenue generated by each distinct user over a defined period. It provides a clear view of monetization efficiency by comparing revenue to user count. You calculate ARPSU by dividing total revenue by the number of unique users.

This metric is vital for subscription services, e-commerce sites, and any digital platform where user behavior drives revenue. By tracking ARPSU over time and across segments, teams can optimize pricing strategies, feature rollouts, and marketing efforts to maximize revenue per user.

Modern analytics tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and plainsignal (cookie-free analytics) support the capture of revenue events and user identifiers, making it straightforward to implement ARPSU tracking and visualization.

Illustration of Arpsu
Illustration of Arpsu

Arpsu

Average revenue generated per unique user in a given period, vital for measuring monetization and user value.

What is ARPSU?

In analytics, ARPSU stands for Average Revenue Per Single User (ARPSU). It measures the average revenue generated by each unique user over a specified time frame. This section breaks down its definition and core components.

  • Definition

    ARPSU calculates the average revenue contributed by a single user in a specified period.

    • Formula:

      ARPSU = Total Revenue ÷ Number of Unique Users

  • Key components

    ARPSU relies on two main data points: total revenue and unique user count.

    • Total revenue:

      The sum of all revenue streams (purchases, subscriptions, ad revenue) within the period.

    • Unique users:

      Distinct users identified by cookies, user IDs, or other persistent identifiers.

Why ARPSU Matters in Analytics

Understanding ARPSU helps businesses gauge monetization efficiency and compare performance across segments, products, or time periods.

  • Measure monetization efficiency

    Shows how effectively the product turns users into revenue, highlighting upsell and pricing opportunities.

  • Benchmark growth

    Allows comparison of revenue performance over time or between different cohorts to track growth.

  • Segment analysis

    Facilitates deeper insights by comparing ARPSU across various user segments.

    • Channel segments:

      Compare ARPSU for users acquired via different marketing channels.

    • User cohorts:

      Analyze ARPSU for cohorts based on sign-up date, geography, or behavior.

How to Calculate ARPSU

Calculating ARPSU involves gathering revenue data and user counts then applying a simple formula.

  • Gather total revenue

    Sum all revenue sources within the chosen period.

  • Identify unique users

    Count distinct user identifiers active during the same period.

  • Apply the formula

    Divide total revenue by the number of unique users to get ARPSU.

    • Sample calculation:

      If total revenue is \(50,000 and there are 2,000 users, ARPSU = \)50,000 ÷ 2,000 = $25.

Implementing ARPSU Tracking with SaaS Tools

Key steps to capture the data needed for ARPSU using GA4 and PlainSignal.

  • Ga4 implementation

    Google Analytics 4 doesn’t include ARPSU out of the box, but you can send revenue events and compute the metric in Explorations or BigQuery.

    • Send revenue events:

      Use the gtag.js snippet to dispatch purchase events with value and currency parameters.

    • Define custom metric:

      In GA4, set up a custom metric or use Explorations to divide total revenue by user count.

    • Example code: 
      <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
  gtag('event', 'purchase', { value: 99.99, currency: 'USD' });
</script>

  • Plainsignal implementation

    PlainSignal offers cookie-free analytics; embed the script and configure revenue events to capture ARPSU data.

    • Embed tracking snippet:

      Drop the PlainSignal tag into your site’s <head> element to start capturing data.

    • Configure revenue tracking:

      Use PlainSignal’s event API to send revenue and user identification data.

    • Example code: 
      <link rel="preconnect" href="//eu.plainsignal.com/" crossorigin />
<script defer data-do="yourwebsitedomain.com" data-id="0GQV1xmtzQQ" data-api="//eu.plainsignal.com" src="//cdn.plainsignal.com/PlainSignal-min.js"></script>

  • Data validation

    Ensure data accuracy by validating revenue totals and user counts against your billing system and other analytics tools.

    • Cross-tool reconciliation:

      Compare ARPSU inputs from GA4, PlainSignal, and your backend database to identify discrepancies.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

Guidelines to ensure reliable ARPSU measurement and avoid common errors.

  • Time period consistency

    Always align the date ranges for revenue and user counts to avoid skewed ARPSU values.

    • Fixed date intervals:

      Use consistent intervals (e.g., weekly, monthly) for reporting and comparisons.

  • Handling refunds and cancellations

    Incorporate refunds and cancellations into your revenue totals to reflect net revenue.

    • Net revenue adjustment:

      Subtract refunded amounts from total revenue before calculating ARPSU.

  • Avoiding duplicate users

    Use stable user identifiers to prevent counting the same person multiple times across devices or sessions.

    • Authenticated ids:

      Implement user authentication to assign persistent IDs rather than relying solely on cookies.

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