Share of wallet survey: 12 questions that give you the percentage
Twelve questions on what customers spend in one category, your share of it, and why the rest goes elsewhere.
- 12questions
- about 3 minto answer
- 1 categoryper response
- 3 monthsof spending
The 12 share of wallet survey questions
A share of wallet survey asks your customers how much they spend in one category and how much of it comes to you. Share of wallet is the percentage of a customer's spending within a category that goes to one brand, store or firm.[1] All 12 questions are already built in the survey creator.
Your spending in the category
The size of the wallet and how many places share it. Add customer profile questions to split results by customer type.
- Roughly how much did you spend in this category over the last 3 months, with every brand or store?The size of the wallet. A rough figure is enough.
- How many different brands or stores did you buy from in this category over the last 3 months?The number of brands the rank formula needs.
How it splits
Your share asked directly, then your rank.
- Roughly what share of that spending went to this brand?Score the six answers 100, 75, 50, 25, 10 and 0.
- Among the brands you buy from in this category, where does this brand rank for you?The rank the formula uses, with 1 as the favorite.
- Which other brand or store gets the most of the rest?Names the rival that gets the rest.
Why the money goes where it goes
Range, access and trust, then the reasons. When price leads question 9, these price survey questions test it.
- This brand sells everything I need in this category.Low agreement beside a small share points to a wider range.
- It is easy to buy from this brand whenever I need to.
- I trust the quality of what this brand sells in this category.
- Why do you buy some of this category somewhere else?A full wallet takes one tap: "It all goes here" is first.
Where it is heading
The same customer and the same category, next quarter.
- Over the next 3 months, do you expect to spend more or less with this brand in this category?A big spender who answers "Less" is the account to call first.
In your words, then the verdict
What would win more of their spending, then a rating of you.
- What would bring more of your spending in this category to this brand?
- Overall, how would you rate this brand for this category?High rating, low share: they like you and still buy elsewhere.
Sending it and calculating your share of wallet
Send it each quarter to customers who bought in the last three months, one category per survey, and say that answers are reported as totals. Prospects get a purchase intent survey instead. Sizing the whole category is a job for a market research survey.
Question 3 gives the share directly, and question 1 turns it into money. When customers have no spending figure to give, the Wallet Allocation Rule estimates share from rank: (1 - rank / (number of brands + 1)) x (2 / number of brands),[2] using questions 4 and 2. Average the customers' scores to get your overall share.[1]
Boosting your rank means minimizing the reasons customers turn to competitors,[1] and question 9 counts those reasons. Whether those customers stay is what a brand loyalty survey measures.
| Brands the customer uses | Your rank | Estimated share |
|---|---|---|
| 2 brands | 1st | (1 - 1/3) x 2/2 x 100 = 67% |
| 2 brands | 2nd | (1 - 2/3) x 2/2 x 100 = 33% |
| 3 brands | 1st | (1 - 1/4) x 2/3 x 100 = 50% |
| 3 brands | 2nd | (1 - 2/4) x 2/3 x 100 = 33% |
| 3 brands | 3rd | (1 - 3/4) x 2/3 x 100 = 17% |
| 4 brands | 1st | (1 - 1/5) x 2/4 x 100 = 40% |
Share of wallet FAQ
What is share of wallet?
Share of wallet, or wallet share, is the percentage of a customer's spending in one category that goes to one brand, store or firm. Market share is your slice of the whole market; share of wallet is your slice of each customer.
How do you calculate share of wallet?
Divide what the customer spent with you by what they spent in the whole category, then multiply by 100. A customer who spends 200 on coffee in a quarter, 60 of it at your cafe, gives you 60 / 200 x 100 = 30%.
When calculating share of wallet, what is meant by rank?
Where a customer places your brand among the brands they use in the category, with 1 as first choice. The Wallet Allocation Rule pairs it with the number of brands to estimate share.
How do you increase share of wallet?
Start with why the rest goes elsewhere. If question 9 says range, an expanded assortment can capture the spend. If it says service, a customer satisfaction survey finds where it breaks.
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Sources (2)
- Keiningham, T. L., Aksoy, L., Buoye, A. and Cooil, B. (2011). "Customer Loyalty Isn't Enough. Grow Your Share of Wallet." Harvard Business Review, October 2011. hbr.org
- Henning, J. (2013). "Grow Your Business by Focusing on Share of Wallet." Researchscape International, 11 June 2013. researchscape.com
Find out how much of the category you get
Twelve questions, about three minutes, and a percentage you can track every quarter.
Use this template