What is ARPPU?

In monetization design, ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User) reveals how much your spenders actually spend. It shows the depth of investment per paying user — beyond just how many players open their wallets.

1️⃣ Definition

ARPPU measures the average amount of revenue from users who made at least one purchase. It reflects how compelling your game’s monetization is for those who chose to pay.

Metric	Formula
ARPPU	Total Revenue ÷ Number of Paying Users

📍If you earn $12,000 from 600 paying users → ARPPU = $20.00

2️⃣ Why ARPPU Matters

Use Case	What It Enables	Design Insight
Spender behavior	Measures depth of IAP engagement	How valuable is your game to spenders?
Offer tuning	Helps price bundles, VIP tiers	Are you underselling or overpricing?
Segmentation clarity	Identifies whales, dolphins, minnows	Who are your most committed players?
Monetization diagnostics	Complements ARPU and conversion	Is low revenue due to few payers — or low spend?

📍ARPPU shows how much your best customers trust your economy. Don’t just track it — understand why it rises or falls.

3️⃣ Interpreting ARPPU

ARPPU Range	Interpretation	Game Type
$1–$5	Shallow spend, ad-supported model	Casual, hypercasual
$5–$20	Balanced monetization, broad access	Casual/midcore
$20–$100+	Committed payers, deeper systems	Midcore/hardcore
$100–$500+	Whale-driven economy	Gacha, 4X, RPGs

📍High ARPPU ≠ healthy game. It might mean few whales carry the business — which can be fragile long-term.

4️⃣ ARPPU and Related Metrics

Metric	Measures	Timescale
ARPU	Revenue per all users	Day / lifetime
ARPPU	Revenue per paying users only	Day / lifetime
Conversion Rate	% of users who make a purchase	Usually install-based

📍Use ARPU + Conversion to understand breadth, and ARPPU to understand depth.

5️⃣ How to Improve ARPPU

Strategy	Implementation
Tiered offers	Add high-value packs beyond beginner bundles
VIP progression	Reward repeat spending with status, power, or cosmetics
Event-based monetization	Boost ARPPU during seasonal or limited-time events
Segmented targeting	Offer premium content to players showing high intent
Emotional anchors	Attach purchases to identity (e.g. skins, naming rights, prestige)

📍A strong ARPPU system gives every spender a reason to keep going. Don’t stop at first-time packs.

6️⃣ Game Examples

Game	Spender Behavior	ARPPU Insight
AFK Arena	Whale-focused gacha + VIP	High ARPPU via long-term tiers
Candy Crush Saga	Wide payer base, micro-IAPs	Medium ARPPU, stable economy
State of Survival	Heavy midcore monetization	ARPPU spikes during conflict-driven events

✅ ARPPU Checklist

Are your offers scaled for different spending levels?

Do you separate short-term vs. long-term monetization?

Is your ARPPU consistent — or skewed by a few whales?

Do LiveOps events increase ARPPU without hurting balance?

Are you tracking ARPPU alongside conversion and ARPU?

📍ARPPU isn't about selling more — it’s about giving spenders more value per dollar. Respect their investment.

Summary

Term	ARPPU – Average Revenue Per Paying User
What it shows	Depth of monetization per spender
Used for	Pricing, segmentation, LiveOps analysis
Paired with	ARPU, Conversion Rate
Optimized by	Tiered offers, long-term progression, premium events

📍ARPPU measures not who pays — but how much they believe your game is worth. Build economies that reward generosity without exploiting it.