Discount Calculator

Worth Knowing

A percentage discount is easy to compute and surprisingly easy to misread. The two mistakes that cost the most money are stacking and anchoring. Stacking: two successive discounts never add up — 30% off followed by another 20% off is not 50% off, it is 0.7 × 0.8 = 0.56, or 44% off, because the second cut applies to the already-reduced price. Anchoring: a "was $200, now $120" tag is only a 40% saving if anything ever actually sold at $200. In the US, the FTC's pricing guidance treats a former price as deceptive unless it was a genuine, recent, substantial-volume offering price, which is why so many outlet and flash-sale "original" prices are worth ignoring entirely. Work from what the item costs elsewhere today, not from the crossed-out number. Two other things this calculator deliberately leaves to you. Sales tax is normally applied to the post-discount price, so a store coupon reduces the tax you pay as well as the price — manufacturer coupons are the exception in several states, where tax is charged on the pre-coupon amount because the retailer is reimbursed. And a percentage saving means nothing without the dollar amount behind it: 50% off a $12 item saves $6, while 10% off a $900 appliance saves $90. If you are deciding where to spend attention during a sale, sort by the savings column, not the percentage.

How to Use

1. Enter the original price of the item.
2. Enter the discount percentage.
3. View the final price and total savings instantly.

Formula

Example

Item priced $80 with 25% off → Final price = $60, Savings = $20.

Frequently Asked Questions