More budget goes to regions and devices with worse acquisition costs

What you see

Weak region-and-device segments gain spend share while their new-customer cost or contribution deteriorates.

Illustration: Region B mobile receives more spend while its cost per new customer rises. — Region B mobile gets more spend as its cost rises.

Check this first

Compare geography and device together before judging the account average.

Data needed

Spend and verified new customers by region, device, and date
Contribution, shipping costs, and stock coverage
Source matching and reporting coverage for each group

Run the check

#1
Use segment definitions available in both spend and customer data.
#2
Report results and unknown assignments without forcing a match.
#3
Compare each segment with its own past and relevant peers.
#4
Check stock, delivery costs, checkout issues, and planned market tests.

Calculate

Compute each segment’s spend share, new customers, cost, and contribution. Use a fixed-mix comparison to separate performance changes from allocation changes.

Compare groups

Region × device
Channel
Product or pack
New-customer source coverage

What a healthy result looks like

Spend changes follow acceptable segment economics or a documented test. Strong segments don't hide unplanned losses elsewhere.

When to investigate

Use comparable segment history and actual contribution. Don't apply a universal 20% region gap.

Possible causes

Expansion regions haven't met their acquisition case.
A changing device mix hides differences between regions.

Rule out these explanations

A bounded market-entry test
Small or poorly matched segments
Changed shipping costs or product availability

What to do next

Test a segment-specific budget or experience change. Keep test spend and established acquisition spend visible separately.

What this check can tell you

A device difference can come from attribution or customer matching. It doesn't identify a checkout defect by itself.

Use this check with AI

Run a read-only check for: More budget goes to regions and devices with worse acquisition costs.
First confirm the available sources, columns, row grain, date basis, currency, and customer definition. Use only authorized data.
Required inputs: Spend and verified new customers by region, device, and date; Contribution, shipping costs, and stock coverage; Source matching and reporting coverage for each group.
Check: Weak region-and-device segments gain spend share while their new-customer cost or contribution deteriorates.
Calculate: Compute each segment’s spend share, new customers, cost, and contribution. Use a fixed-mix comparison to separate performance changes from allocation changes.
Slice by: Region × device; Channel; Product or pack; New-customer source coverage.
Use this comparison rule: Use comparable segment history and actual contribution. Don't apply a universal 20% region gap.
Show the source totals, calculation, unknown groups, missing inputs, and result. Don't invent fields, thresholds, customer matches, or causal effects.
Rule out: A bounded market-entry test; Small or poorly matched segments; Changed shipping costs or product availability.
Describe the observed signal separately from possible explanations. If the check is incomplete, state the exact data needed.
Make no account or budget changes.

Sources and definitions

Google: attribution settingsTime zone, attribution settings, and conversion windows affect comparisons.Read source