A Must-Read for Overseas Marketing: How to Accurately Calculate Screening System ROI and Cost Per Contact Under Pay-Per-Use Pricing

In overseas customer acquisition, the number screening system is a core tool for batch-verifying number validity and activity. However, many teams focus only on number procurement costs when planning budgets, ignoring the cost of screening itself, or blindly invest without accurately calculating ROI (Return on Investment). This article starts from the pay-per-use pricing model, guiding you step by step to calculate the screening system’s ROI and cost per contact, helping you efficiently acquire customers and optimize budgets on platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp.

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Why Is Screening System ROI a Key Metric for Overseas Marketing?

Simply put, Screening System ROI = (Revenue from contact conversions − Screening cost − Other costs) ÷ Screening cost × 100%. When screening costs far exceed the expected customer value, ROI becomes negative, making such acquisition unsustainable.

In overseas scenarios, the validity and activity of numbers directly determine contact costs. If you purchase a batch of numbers without screening and send bulk messages directly, a large number of invalid numbers (unregistered, deactivated, inactive users) will waste your time and money. Worse, using cheap but low-quality screening tools may miss many valid numbers or generate duplicate checks, further raising costs.

The pay-per-use pricing model (e.g., as provided by KK-DATA) ensures each fee corresponds to one actual check, allowing teams to precisely control budgets and determine whether each screening task is worthwhile by calculating ROI.

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Cost Structure and Calculation Formula Under Pay-Per-Use Pricing

Detailed Core Cost Items

• Screening unit price: Different platforms (Telegram, WhatsApp, iMessage, RCS, etc.) and different check types (registration check, activity check, gender identification, etc.) have different unit prices. Exact prices are based on the official billing page or real-time display in the console.
• Minimum recharge: Usually about 50 USDT (USDT TRC20), balance updates automatically after deposit.
• Task volume: Up to about 1 million numbers per task, suitable for small to large-scale tests.
• Invalid check loss: If numbers contain duplicates that are not deduplicated, repeated charges will occur, increasing costs.

Method to Calculate Cost Per Contact (with Example)

Cost per contact = Total amount consumed for that screening task ÷ Number of valid numbers finally obtained

Example (assumed values, actual prices refer to console):

• Recharge 100 USDT
• Screening unit price approx 0.01 CNY/number (assumed, check official website for actual)
• Screening task: 100,000 numbers
• After screening, valid numbers (registered, active) obtained: 50,000
• Amount consumed: 100,000 × 0.01 = 1,000 CNY (≈140 USDT, if balance is sufficient)

But if balance is only 100 USDT, the actual number of numbers that can be screened is limited by balance. A more common calculation: Cost per contact = Recharge amount ÷ Number of valid numbers (ignoring exchange rate fluctuations). For example, recharge 100 USDT, get 50,000 valid numbers, then cost per contact = 100 / 50,000 = 0.002 USDT/number (≈0.014 CNY/number).

Note: The amount consumed is the actual amount deducted from the balance after task completion, not the recharge amount. If balance is not fully used, the remainder can be used for subsequent tasks.

Screening System ROI Formula

ROI = (Revenue from contact conversions − Screening cost − Other costs) ÷ Screening cost × 100%

Where:

• Revenue from contact conversions = Number of effective contacts × Conversion rate × Customer value per conversion
• Screening cost = Total amount consumed for the screening task
• Other costs = Number purchase cost, message sending fees, manpower, etc.

Assume you screened and obtained 50,000 valid WhatsApp numbers, sent bulk messages, conversion rate 2%, customer value per conversion 10 USDT, then Revenue from contact conversions = 50,000 × 2% × 10 = 10,000 USDT. If screening cost is 100 USDT, other costs 200 USDT, then ROI = (10,000 − 100 − 200) / 100 × 100% = 9,700%. This is an ideal high-ROI example; actual calculations depend on your business data.

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Three Steps to Estimate Your Screening System ROI (Practical Guide)

Step 1: Set Clear Goals and Conversion Rate Assumptions

For example: “Screen active Telegram accounts from 100,000 randomly generated numbers, then promote via private messages. Expected conversion rate 1.5%, customer lifetime value 20 USDT.”

Don’t have historical conversion rates? First refer to industry averages, or run a small-scale test.

Step 2: Small-Scale Test Screening Pass Rate

Don’t recharge a large amount all at once. It is recommended to use the platform’s free number generation function (e.g., KK-DATA’s global number generation, supporting 240+ countries/regions, free to generate) to obtain a batch of test numbers, then run a small task of 5,000 to 10,000 numbers.

For example:

• Generate 5,000 Brazilian numbers
• Submit Telegram activity check (select 7-day activity window)
• Observe pass rate: Suppose 2,000 active numbers are obtained, pass rate 40%

This real pass rate is the basis for your subsequent estimates.

Step 3: Plug into Formula to Calculate ROI and Adjust Strategy

Assume you want to screen 100,000 numbers. From step 2 test, the valid pass rate is about 40%, so valid numbers ≈ 100,000 × 40% = 40,000.

• Assume recharge 100 USDT, unit price 0.01 CNY/number, then screening cost for 100,000 numbers is about 1,000 CNY (≈140 USDT). If balance is insufficient, you need to recharge more. A more reasonable approach: first recharge 50 USDT to test a few thousand numbers, confirm pass rate, then calculate required balance based on total volume.
• Cost per contact = Recharge amount / Valid numbers (assuming you only do one task and use up the balance). For example, recharge 140 USDT, get 40,000 valid numbers, cost per contact = 140 / 40,000 = 0.0035 USDT/number.
• Then combine with your conversion rate and customer value to judge whether ROI is positive.

If the calculated ROI is negative, you can adjust strategy: change number source (use more targeted number segments), reduce activity window (e.g., from 7 days to 30 days to increase pass rate), or choose a cheaper check type.

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Three Major Variables Affecting Screening System ROI: Quality, Duplicates, Activity

1. Number Source Quality: Random generation vs. industry database import. Randomly generated numbers usually have a lower pass rate (10%–30%), while targeted data imports (such as exhibition attendee lists) may have a higher pass rate (50%+). After using Global Number Generation for free, be sure to test a batch first.

2. Duplicate Checks: Running the same batch of numbers in different tasks will cause extra charges. Use the Data Deduplication Vault feature to import numbers for deduplication before submitting, significantly reducing invalid expenses. See documentation.

3. Activity Window: Telegram activity check can select 7 days, 15 days, 30 days, etc. Shorter windows produce lower pass rates but contact users with higher timeliness; longer windows produce higher pass rates but may include users who are not recently active. Choose an appropriate window based on the urgency of your promotion.

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Pay-Per-Use vs. Subscription: Which Model Suits Your Marketing Budget Better?

Dimension	Pay-per-Use (e.g., KK-DATA)	Subscription
Startup Cost	Low, minimum recharge ~50 USDT	Usually requires monthly payment of hundreds to thousands of yuan
Cost Flexibility	Pay for what you use; balance can be kept long-term	Fixed monthly fee, wasted if unused
Suitable Scenarios	Testing phases, fluctuating task volumes, precise cost control	Stable large volumes, predictable tasks
ROI Calculation	Clear; each fee corresponds to actual checks	Requires allocating fixed costs, complex calculation

For overseas marketing teams, especially when initially testing new markets or channels, pay-per-use can significantly reduce upfront costs, and every expense corresponds to real performance data, enabling rapid iteration.

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Case Simulation: Full ROI Estimation Process for a B2B SaaS Team

Suppose a B2B SaaS company wants to promote its product to small and medium businesses in Brazil via WhatsApp. The team plans to screen 50,000 Brazilian mobile numbers, targeting numbers that are active and have WhatsApp enabled.

1. Goal: Obtain 10,000 active WhatsApp accounts, send invitations, and get 50 trial customers (conversion rate 0.5%), each customer’s first order value 100 USDT.

2. Small-Scale Test: Using Global Number Generation, they generated 2,000 Brazilian numbers for free, submitted WhatsApp valid check, and got 700 valid numbers (pass rate 35%).

3. Calculation:

   • If screening 50,000 numbers, valid numbers = 50,000 × 35% = 17,500.
   • Assume unit price 0.008 CNY/number (example, check console for actual), total cost = 50,000 × 0.008 = 400 CNY (≈56 USDT).
   • Cost per contact = 56 USDT / 17,500 ≈ 0.0032 USDT.
   • Conversion revenue = 17,500 × 0.5% × 100 = 8,750 USDT.
   • Screening cost 56 USDT, other costs (email sending, etc.) about 100 USDT, ROI = (8,750 − 56 − 100) / 56 × 100% ≈ 15,239%.

This is a very high ROI. In practice, you also need to consider number acquisition costs, labor, etc. But the simulation shows that as long as the number quality is not extremely poor, screening investment is relatively small compared to the return.

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Checklist: 5 Must-Check Items Before Calculating Screening System ROI

Before submitting a screening task, go through the following checklist to ensure budget is not wasted:

• Target Number Quantity and Quality Prediction: Random generated or industry data? Estimate possible pass rate first.
• Unit Prices per Platform: Log in to KK-DATA Console to see real-time unit prices; different check types differ.
• Estimated Pass Rate: Based on historical tasks or small-scale testing; don’t guess.
• Any Duplicate Numbers: Import numbers into Data Deduplication Vault to check for duplicates and avoid extra charges.
• Sufficient Balance: Confirm in the console whether the balance can cover this task (estimated cost is shown before task submission); recharge if insufficient.

After confirming each item, then submit the task. Doing so maximizes the chance of positive ROI and ensures every screening is worth the cost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How to calculate “cost per contact” in screening system ROI?

A: Cost per contact = Total amount consumed for that screening task ÷ Number of valid numbers finally obtained. For example, recharge 100 USDT, screen out 50,000 qualified numbers, then cost per contact = 100/50,000 = 0.002 USDT. Note that consumed amount = actual deduction after task completion, not including unused recharge.

Q: Under pay-per-use pricing, if the screening pass rate is very low, is it a big loss?

A: Yes, the lower the pass rate, the higher the cost per contact. It is recommended to first test a small batch to evaluate the number quality. If the pass rate is lower than expected, you can change the number source (e.g., regenerate using the global number generation function) or adjust screening conditions (e.g., reduce the activity window). The KK-DATA console shows estimated costs in real time so you can decide whether the cost is acceptable before submission.

Q: How does the deduplication vault help save costs and improve ROI?

A: The data deduplication vault automatically identifies identical numbers across different tasks, avoiding duplicate charges from repeated screening. For example, if you upload previously screened active numbers again, the system will prompt deduplication and skip duplicates, thus saving balance and directly boosting ROI.

Q: Is the minimum recharge of 50 USDT enough? How quickly can I calculate ROI?

A: 50 USDT is roughly 300-400 CNY (at current exchange rate), sufficient for small-scale testing (e.g., screening 10,000–50,000 numbers). Usually, after one small task (a few thousand to tens of thousands of numbers), you can obtain an accurate pass rate and thus estimate ROI. It is advisable to first run a small-scale test to validate the process before deciding to recharge more.

Q: How does screening system ROI compare with other marketing channels?

A: The core value of a screening system is to improve number validity and activity, reducing ineffective contact costs. Compared to directly purchasing numbers or manual verification, a pay-per-use screening system can reduce cost per contact by over 50% (assuming number pass rate 30%–60%). Specific comparison requires combining your customer acquisition conversion rate and customer lifetime value.

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Log in to KK-DATA Console to generate numbers for free and test screening effects; refer to Billing Information for real-time unit prices; for questions, contact customer service @kkdata_cc for one-on-one advice.