About Discount Calculator
Most discount questions are one of three. What will this cost at 25% off? I paid 60 for something that was 80, so how much did I save? This is 60 after 20% off, so what was the original? Pick the question at the top and the page gives you the answer, with the sum written out so you can see how it was reached.
The stacked case catches a lot of shoppers. A sign saying an extra 10% off on top of a 20% sale does not mean 30% off, because the second discount applies to the price after the first. The page shows the true total percentage, and it can add sales tax so you can see what you will really pay.
How it works
In Sale price mode, the price is multiplied by one minus the first percentage, and then by one minus the second. The result is rounded to the cent, and tax is worked out on the discounted price. Total discount is the amount saved as a share of the original. In Discount percent mode, the sum is the difference divided by the original price, then multiplied by 100.
In Original price mode, the sale price is divided by one minus the percentage, not increased by it. That detail matters. A price of 60 after 20% off was 75, not 72, because adding 20% to 60 uses the wrong base. The page explains this next to the answer. Results have no currency symbol, so it works for any money that uses two decimals.
How to use Discount Calculator
- Under What do you want to know?, choose Sale price, Discount percent or Original price.
- Fill in the boxes shown. Results update as you type.
- In Sale price mode, you can add a Second discount (%) and Sales tax (%).
- Read the answer, the stats and the written-out sum beneath them.
Real runs in each mode
Original 80, 20% off, then 10% off, 8% tax
Original 80, sale 60
Sale 60, 20% offSale price: 57.60. You save 22.40. Total discount 28%. Tax 4.61. Total with tax 62.21.
20% and then 10% is 28% in total, not 30%, because the second discount applies to the already reduced price.
Discount: 25%. (80 - 60) / 80 × 100 = 25%.
Original price: 75.00. 60 / (1 - 20 / 100) = 75.00. Adding 20% back onto the sale price would give the wrong answer.The order of two percentage discounts does not change the final price: 10% then 20% also gives 57.60.
When it helps
- Checking a checkout total when a coupon is applied on top of a sale
- Working out whether a Black Friday price is really a good deal, against the price you saw before
- Setting a sale price in a shop at a chosen percentage
- Finding the pre-sale price from a receipt, for a return or an expense claim
- Comparing a percentage off with a fixed amount off, by finding the percentage for each
Tips for a better result
- Compare with the price the item normally sells for, not just the tag's crossed-out figure. A larger percentage on an inflated list price can still cost more.
- Use the total discount figure to compare a stacked offer against a single large one. Here, 20% then 10% loses to a flat 30%.
- Check how tax applies where you shop. In the US it is usually added at the till, and in many other countries it is already inside the shelf price, so leave the tax box empty.
- For a fixed amount off, such as 15 off 80, use Discount percent mode with 65 as the sale price to see it as a percentage.
Good to know
- Rules on whether a coupon applies before or after tax differ between stores and places. This tool always applies discounts first, then tax.
- It has no fixed-amount coupon box in Sale price mode. Use the sale price it gives you and subtract the amount yourself.
- It handles two discounts at most. For three or more, run it again using the first result as the new original price.
- Currencies without cents, such as the Japanese yen, are still shown with two decimals.
- Shipping and fees are not included, and tax here is a single rate.
Questions people ask
Is 20% off and then 10% off the same as 30% off?
No. Starting at 100, 20% off gives 80, and 10% off that gives 72, which is 28% off overall. A flat 30% would give 70.
How do I work out the original price?
Divide the sale price by one minus the discount as a decimal. For 60 after 20% off, that is 60 divided by 0.8, which is 75. Adding 20% to the sale price gives the wrong result.
Is sales tax calculated before or after the discount?
Here, after. That is the common approach for store discounts, as tax is charged on what you pay. Some manufacturer coupons are taxed on the price before the discount, depending on where you live.
How do I find the percentage I saved?
Subtract the sale price from the original, divide by the original, and multiply by 100. Choose Discount percent, and the page does this for you and shows the sum.
What to use next
- Percentage Calculator: for other percentage questions
- Invoice Generator: to bill a customer with the discount shown
- Loan Calculator: if you are financing what you are buying
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