Payback Time

Investments and payback time. Payback time is the number of periods required for cumulative benefits to equal cumulative costs. The smaller the payback period, the better the investment.

Payback Time Calculator

Payback time is the number of periods required for cumulative benefits to equal cumulative costs.

Undiscounted Payback

F₀ = F₁ + F₂ + ... + Fₙₚ

where:

  • F₀ = initial investment
  • F₁, F₂, etc. = cash flows in future periods
  • nₚ = period where initial investment equals accumulated future cash flows

Discounted Payback

F₀ = F₁ / (1 + i) + F₂ / (1 + i)² + ... + Fₙₚ / (1 + i)ⁿₚ

where:

  • i = interest rate (discount rate)
Calculator

Inputs

Results

Payback Period-- periods
PeriodCash FlowUndiscounted CumulativeDiscounted Cumulative
0-10000-10000-10000
13000-7000-7272.73
23000-4000-4462.81
33000-1000-1694.25
4300020001025.31
5300050003868.52
Payback Time | MEPKit Engineering Tools | MEPKit