NPS (Net Promoter Score)
A customer loyalty metric based on a single question — 'How likely are you to recommend us?' — scored 0–10, that classifies respondents as Promoters, Passives, or Detractors.
What is NPS?
NPS (Net Promoter Score) was developed by Fred Reichheld at Bain & Company in 2003. It measures customer loyalty by asking one question:
*"On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend [product] to a friend or colleague?"*
How NPS is calculated
| Score | Category | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 9–10 | Promoters | Loyal enthusiasts who will refer others |
| 7–8 | Passives | Satisfied but unenthusiastic; vulnerable to competitors |
| 0–6 | Detractors | Unhappy customers who may damage brand through negative WOM |
**NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors**
Range: −100 to +100
NPS benchmarks (SaaS)
| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| < 0 | Critical — more detractors than promoters |
| 0–30 | Below average |
| 30–50 | Good |
| 50–70 | Excellent |
| > 70 | World-class (Apple, Netflix at their peaks) |
NPS limitations for product decisions
NPS measures satisfaction, not behaviour. A user can give 9/10 NPS and still churn. Always pair NPS with:
- Retention cohort data
- Follow-up qualitative "why" question
- Segmented analysis (by plan, cohort, or persona)
Free templates for NPS
Frequently asked questions
When should you send the NPS survey?
In-product, after the user has experienced core value — not immediately after signup. For SaaS, trigger it at Day 30 or after the user completes 3–5 key actions. Annual email surveys produce less actionable data than in-product, event-triggered surveys.
Is NPS a reliable predictor of growth?
Weakly. Reichheld's original research showed correlation between NPS and revenue growth, but subsequent studies found the correlation is industry-specific and often overstated. Use NPS as one signal among many — not as your primary growth metric.
Apply NPS to your real product data
PMRead ingests customer feedback, interviews, and Slack threads — and generates PRDs grounded in real evidence.
Related terms
Product-Market Fit
The degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand — characterised by organic growth, high retention, and users who would be 'very disappointed' if the product disappeared.
Churn Rate
The percentage of customers or revenue lost in a given period — the primary indicator of whether a product retains the value it delivers.
Retention Rate
The percentage of users who continue using a product over a defined time period — the most important signal of product-market fit and sustainable growth.