A discount calculator finds the sale price and the amount saved: sale price = original price × (1 − discount ÷ 100). A $120 item at 25% off costs $120 × 0.75 = $90, and you save $30.
Sales tax is not included; add it with the sales tax calculator.
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How to use the discount calculator
- Enter the original price.
- Enter the percent off, for example 25.
- Read the sale price and how much you save.
For two discounts in a row, run the discount calculator twice, using the first sale price as the second original price.
Discount formulas
| To find | Formula | Example ($120, 25% off) |
|---|---|---|
| Amount saved | price × percent ÷ 100 | $120 × 0.25 = $30 |
| Sale price | price × (1 − percent ÷ 100) | $120 × 0.75 = $90 |
| Percent off, from two prices | (original − sale) ÷ original × 100 | ($120 − $90) ÷ $120 = 25% |
| Original price, from sale price | sale ÷ (1 − percent ÷ 100) | $90 ÷ 0.75 = $120 |
Quick discount table
| Original price | 10% off | 20% off | 25% off | 30% off | 40% off | 50% off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $18.00 | $16.00 | $15.00 | $14.00 | $12.00 | $10.00 |
| $50 | $45.00 | $40.00 | $37.50 | $35.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| $80 | $72.00 | $64.00 | $60.00 | $56.00 | $48.00 | $40.00 |
| $100 | $90.00 | $80.00 | $75.00 | $70.00 | $60.00 | $50.00 |
| $250 | $225.00 | $200.00 | $187.50 | $175.00 | $150.00 | $125.00 |
| $500 | $450.00 | $400.00 | $375.00 | $350.00 | $300.00 | $250.00 |
Stacked discounts in the discount calculator
Two discounts in a row multiply; they do not add. “20% off, then an extra 15% off” on $100:
- $100 × 0.80 = $80
- $80 × 0.85 = $68
That is 32% off in total, not 35%. To combine two percentage discounts, use 1 − (1 − a)(1 − b). For this example, 1 − (0.80 × 0.85) = 0.32. Run the discount calculator twice (first discount, then the second on the new price) to check a stacked deal.
Adding sales tax
In most U.S. states, sales tax is charged on the discounted price. A $68 sale price with 7% tax costs $68 × 1.07 = $72.76. Add your local rate with the sales tax calculator, or the VAT calculator for prices outside the U.S.
Is it really a good deal?
- Compare the final price, including tax and shipping, not the percentage.
- A “was” price must be a genuine former price. The FTC’s guides against deceptive pricing say a former price should be one the item was actually offered at for a reasonable period.
- Percent off from a high list price can still cost more than a competitor’s regular price.
Dollar-off coupons vs percent-off deals
To compare a dollar-off coupon with a percent-off sale, turn the coupon into a percent: divide the dollars off by the price. $15 off a $60 item is 25% off, better than a 20% discount ($12). On a $100 item, the same $15 coupon is only 15% off, so the 20% sale ($20) wins. Many stores apply percent-off discounts before coupons; $100 at 20% off is $80, and a $10 coupon then brings it to $70. Check the order in the store’s terms, because it changes the final price.
Buy one, get one deals
“Buy one, get one free” is 50% off each item only if you want two. “Buy one, get one 50% off” is 25% off the pair: two $40 items cost $40 + $20 = $60 instead of $80.
Price per unit and other sale traps
A percentage off is only a good deal if the price you compare against is real. Some ways to check what a discount calculator result actually means:
- Compare price per unit. A 20% discount on a 500 g pack at $6.00 gives $4.80, or 96 cents per 100 g. A regular 1 kg pack at $8.50 is 85 cents per 100 g, so the larger pack is still cheaper.
- Check the price history. A “was” price that applied for a few days before the sale can make 40% off look generous when the usual price is close to the sale price.
- Count shipping and minimum spends. A $10-off-$75 coupon is worth 13.3% only if you were going to spend $75 anyway.
For stacked offers, apply them one after the other. An $80 item at 25% off and then an extra 10% at the checkout costs 80 × 0.75 × 0.90 = $54. The combined discount is 32.5%, not 35%. Running each step through the discount calculator gives the exact price, and the total saving of $26 tells you whether the deal is worth it.
Related converters and calculators
Related tools and guides:
- Percentage calculator: X% of Y
- Sales tax calculator: tax after discount
- Tip calculator: restaurant bills
- VAT calculator: prices outside the US
- Profit margin calculator: seller’s view
Sources
FTC Guides Against Deceptive Pricing, 16 CFR Part 233.
Questions about this calculator
How do I calculate 30% off a price?
Multiply the price by 0.70. For $80, that is $56, and you save $24.
How do I find what percent off a sale is?
Subtract the sale price from the original, divide by the original and multiply by 100. $90 from $120 is 25% off.
Do two 20% discounts make 40% off?
No. They multiply: 0.80 × 0.80 = 0.64, so the total is 36% off.
Does the discount calculator include sales tax?
No. It shows the pre-tax sale price.
How do I find the original price from a sale price?
Divide the sale price by (1 − discount ÷ 100). $90 at 25% off was $90 ÷ 0.75 = $120.
Check the assumptions and units before relying on a result. Financial, tax and health estimates do not replace advice for your individual circumstances.
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