Discount Calculator

To calculate a discount, convert the discount percentage to a decimal and multiply it by the original price to find the discount amount, then subtract from the original price to get the sale price. For example, a $100 item with a 30% discount: multiply $100 × 0.30 = $30 discount, so the sale price is $100 - $30 = $70. Alternatively, you can multiply the original price by (1 - discount percentage as decimal): $100 × 0.70 = $70. This is a practical application of percentage calculations used every day in retail shopping.

The formula to calculate what percentage discount was applied is: Discount % = ((Original Price - Sale Price) ÷ Original Price) × 100. For example, if an item's original price was $80 and it's now on sale for $60, the discount percentage is ((80 - 60) ÷ 80) × 100 = (20 ÷ 80) × 100 = 25%. This means you're saving 25% off the original price, or $20. This calculation helps you compare sale values across different products and determine which discount offers the best savings for your budget.

Double discounts are applied sequentially (one after another), not added together, which means they're less valuable than you might think. For example, 20% off followed by 10% off on a $100 item: first discount gives $80 ($100 × 0.80), then second discount applies to $80 giving $72 ($80 × 0.90). The effective total discount is 28%, not 30%. In general, a single 30% discount ($70 final price) is better than consecutive 20% then 10% discounts ($72 final price). When shopping, always calculate or compare final prices rather than just adding discount percentages together to find the best deal.

To find the original price from a sale price and discount percentage, divide the sale price by (1 minus the discount percentage as a decimal). For example, if an item costs $60 after a 25% discount, calculate the original price: $60 ÷ (1 - 0.25) = $60 ÷ 0.75 = $80. This means the original price was $80 before the $20 discount was applied. This calculation is useful when stores show sale prices without the original price, or when you want to verify the actual discount amount you're receiving on a promotional offer.

Buy 2 get 1 free (B2G1) is equivalent to a 33.3% discount when purchasing exactly 3 items, making it better than 30% off. With B2G1 on $20 items, you pay $40 for 3 items ($13.33 per item), whereas 30% off would cost $42 for 3 items ($14 per item). However, B2G1 only works if you want or need 3 items - if you only want 2 items, the 30% off each is better ($28 vs $40). Similarly, buy 1 get 1 free (BOGO) is equivalent to 50% off when buying 2 items. Always calculate your total cost and per-unit price to determine which promotion offers better value for your specific purchase quantity.

To calculate the final price after multiple successive discounts, apply each discount one at a time to the running total. For example, with a $200 item getting 25% off then an additional 15% off: first discount gives $200 × 0.75 = $150, then second discount gives $150 × 0.85 = $127.50. The effective total discount is 36.25%, calculated as ((200 - 127.50) ÷ 200) × 100. You can also use the formula: Final Price = Original × (1 - First%) × (1 - Second%), or $200 × 0.75 × 0.85 = $127.50. Our double discount calculator above handles these calculations automatically to help you understand your true savings.

Use a discount calculator when dealing with complex scenarios like multiple successive discounts, unusual percentage values (like 17.5% or 22%), comparing multiple deals with different discount structures, or when you need to reverse-calculate the original price. For example, comparing a 30% off sale versus 20% off with an additional $15 store credit is easier with a calculator. Manual mental math works well for simple discounts like 50% off (divide by 2) or 25% off (divide by 4), but a calculator ensures accuracy for tipping calculations, bulk purchase comparisons, or business pricing decisions where precision matters.

Discount and markup percentages use different base values, which is why they're not symmetrical. A markup percentage uses cost as the base (Markup = (Price - Cost) ÷ Cost × 100), while discount percentage uses retail price as the base. For example, if a store buys an item for $50 and sells it for $100, that's a 100% markup ($50 profit ÷ $50 cost). If they then discount it 50% off to $50, the discount is 50% off the $100 selling price, bringing it back to cost. This asymmetry explains why stores can offer what seem like large discounts while still making profit - a 40% markup followed by a 30% discount still leaves a small profit margin.

To compare discounts on different priced items, calculate the final price and the price per unit of value (like cost per ounce, per item, or per use). For example, compare $50 shoes at 40% off ($30 final) versus $70 shoes at 50% off ($35 final) - the first is cheaper, but the second might be better quality. Also calculate absolute savings: 25% off a $200 item saves $50, while 50% off a $50 item saves only $25. Consider value beyond just percentage: sometimes a smaller discount on a higher quality item provides better long-term value. Use our calculator above to quickly compute final prices, then evaluate based on your needs, budget, and the product's expected lifespan or utility.

Larger discount percentages are not always better deals - you must consider the original price and your actual needs. A 70% off clearance item might seem great, but if the original price was inflated or the item is poor quality, it's not a good value. For example, 70% off a $100 item ($30 final) versus 30% off a $40 item ($28 final) - the second has a smaller percentage but lower final price. Also avoid buying items you don't need just because of a large discount - saving 80% on something you won't use is still wasting 100% of the purchase price. Focus on the absolute final price, the item's actual value to you, and whether you would buy it at full price. Smart shopping means identifying genuine needs and then finding the best discount, not buying based solely on the percentage markdown.