Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate (DBNER)

Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate (DBNER), also known as Net Revenue Retention (NRR), is a critical SaaS and subscription business metric that measures the percentage change in revenue from existing customers over a specific period, accounting for upgrades, downgrades, and churn.

It helps investors and operators understand how effectively a company expands revenue within its existing customer base, independent of new customer acquisition.

Formula:

DBNER = (Revenue at end of period from existing customers / Revenue at start of period from the same customers) × 100

A DBNER above 100% means the business is growing revenue from existing customers through upsells, cross-sells, or price increases. A healthy DBNER (often >120% for SaaS) signals strong product value and customer loyalty.