Discount Calculator
Find out what you will actually pay after a discount. Enter the original price and the percentage off, and this calculator shows the sale price and the amount saved. You can also apply a second, stacked discount, which is common during clearance events where an extra percentage comes off the already reduced price.
- Sale price
- $84.00
- You save
- $36.00
Stacked discounts are where shoppers most often miscalculate: 30% off followed by an extra 20% off is not 50% off. The second discount applies to the reduced price, so the true combined discount is 44%.
How it's calculated
Sale price = original Ć (1 ā dā/100) Ć (1 ā dā/100)
dā is the first discount percentage and dā the optional second one. Savings are the difference between the original and final price. With a single discount, the formula reduces to original Ć (1 ā d/100).
Worked example
A $120 jacket at 30% off costs $84. With an additional 20% off the sale price, it drops to $67.20. The total saving is $52.80, which works out to 44% off the original, not 50%.
Frequently asked questions
āŗWhy isn't 30% off plus 20% off the same as 50% off?
Because the second discount is taken from the already-reduced price, not the original. 30% + 20% stacked equals a 44% total discount; a true 50% discount would be larger.
āŗHow do I calculate the discount percentage from two prices?
Divide the savings by the original price and multiply by 100. If an item dropped from $80 to $60, the discount is (20 Ć· 80) Ć 100 = 25%.
āŗIs sales tax applied before or after the discount?
After. Retailers charge tax on the discounted price you actually pay, so a discount also reduces the tax.
āŗWhat does MSRP mean?
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, the list price the discount is usually advertised against. Comparing final prices across stores matters more than the claimed percentage off.
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