Sale price and how much you save, by percentage or amount.
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Uses of discount calculation
- Working out the sale price of a discounted item
- Comparing a percent-off coupon against a fixed-dollar coupon
- Checking how much a seasonal sale actually saves
- Budgeting a purchase before heading to checkout
discount calculation pitfalls
- Adding stacked percentage discounts instead of applying them in sequence
- Applying the discount to the price including tax rather than the listed price
discount calculation questions (9)
How do I calculate a percentage discount?
Multiply the original price by the discount percentage, then divide by 100 to get the saving. Subtract that from the original price to get the sale price. For a 25% discount on $80: saving = (25 × 80) ÷ 100 = $20; sale price = $80 − $20 = $60. Alternatively, multiply by 0.75 (1 − 0.25) to get $60 directly.
What is the difference between percent off and amount off?
A percent-off discount scales with the price: 20% off $50 saves $10, while 20% off $200 saves $40. A fixed-amount-off discount gives the same saving regardless of price: $10 off is $10 off whether the item costs $50 or $200. Percent-off deals are more valuable on higher-priced items.
How much will I save?
Enter the original price and the discount (as a percentage or fixed amount) into the calculator. The saving amount appears instantly alongside the sale price. For a 30% discount on a $150 item: saving = $45; sale price = $105.
How do stacked discounts work?
Stacked discounts apply one after another, not added together. A 20% discount followed by a further 10% discount does not equal 30% off. On a $100 item: 20% off gives $80; then 10% off $80 gives $72. The combined saving is 28%, not 30%. Each discount applies to the already-reduced price.
Should the discount apply before or after tax?
Retailers apply discounts to the listed price before tax in most cases. Tax then applies to the discounted price. If a $100 item is 20% off, the sale price is $80, and tax is calculated on $80. Applying the discount after tax would give a different (and usually incorrect) result.
How do I find the original price from a sale price and discount?
Divide the sale price by (1 − discount rate). If an item costs $60 after a 25% discount: original price = $60 ÷ (1 − 0.25) = $60 ÷ 0.75 = $80. This formula reverses the discount calculation to recover the original value.
What does "buy one get one 50% off" mean in percentage terms?
For two equal-priced items, one full price and one at 50% off, the total saving is 25% off the combined price. If each item costs $40: total = $40 + $20 = $60 instead of $80. That is a $20 saving on $80, which is exactly 25%. BOGO 50% is a marketing phrasing for a 25% combined discount.
Is a discount on sale price the same as a markup reduction?
No. A 25% discount reduces the price by 25% of the sale price. A 25% markup reduction reduces the selling price by 25% of the cost price. These produce different results unless the markup percentage equals the discount percentage by coincidence. Discount and markup use different bases: sale price vs cost price.
Are my prices uploaded?
No. Every calculation runs in your browser, so the prices and discounts you enter stay with you. Runs entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded.