Definition
Cost per usable contact = total spend (credits + actions value) ÷ contacts with valid, actually-usable output. "Usable" is your definition — typically: valid email (or direct dial) AND the fields the downstream decision needs.
Why it beats every other metric
Credit totals ignore match rates. Plan fees ignore data quality. Cost per enriched record counts records that failed validation. Only cost per usable record reflects what you actually got.
How to measure
- Pick a completed workflow run with known volume.
- Sum credits spent (Settings → Usage by table) and the action-tier value.
- Count usable outputs against your definition.
- Divide. Repeat monthly; trend it.
What moves it
Waterfall order, input filtering, BYO keys, validation coverage, and dead-row enrichment. Every optimization in the credit playbook is ultimately a play against this one number.
Need help applying this?
Describe your project and the ClayForEnterprises team will review it — the resources stay free either way.