Discount Calculator

Calculate discounts, savings, and final prices. Compare prices with multiple discounts, tax inclusion, and percentage calculations.

Simple Discount
Multiple Discounts
Compare Prices
Reverse Calculation
Price & Discount Details
$
The original price before discount
Percentage Off
Fixed Amount Off
%
Percentage discount (0-100%)
Common Shopping Scenarios
Black Friday
$500 item, 40% off
Cyber Monday
$300 item, 30% off + 10% off
Clearance Sale
$80 item, 70% off
Coupon + Sale
$120 item, 25% off + $20 coupon
Member Discount
$200 item, 15% member discount
With Tax
$150 item, 20% off, 8.25% tax

Understanding Discounts & Savings

A discount is a reduction in the regular price of a product or service. Discounts are commonly expressed as a percentage off the original price or as a fixed amount subtracted from the original price.

Basic Discount Formulas:

Percentage Discount: Discount Amount = Original Price × (Discount Percentage ÷ 100)

Final Price: Final Price = Original Price - Discount Amount

Effective Discount Percentage: (Discount Amount ÷ Original Price) × 100

Reverse Calculation (Find Original Price): Original Price = Final Price ÷ (1 - (Discount Percentage ÷ 100))

Types of Discounts

Discount Type Description Example
Percentage Off A percentage reduction from the original price 20% off $100 = $80 final price
Fixed Amount Off A specific dollar amount subtracted from the price $20 off $100 = $80 final price
Buy One Get One (BOGO) Get one item free when purchasing another Buy one at $50, get second free = $25 each
Multi-tier Discount Discount increases with quantity purchased 10% off 1 item, 20% off 3+ items
Seasonal/Clearance Discounts during specific seasons or to clear inventory End-of-season sale: 40-70% off
Loyalty/Member Discount Special pricing for members or loyal customers 10% off for members only

How to Calculate Multiple Discounts

Important: Multiple discounts are applied sequentially, not added together. This is a common misconception in discount calculations.

Example Calculation: $100 item with 20% off, then an additional 10% off

1. First discount: $100 × 20% = $20 off → $80 after first discount

2. Second discount: $80 × 10% = $8 off → $72 final price

Not: 20% + 10% = 30% off $100 = $70 (This is incorrect!)

Shopping Strategies

  • Compare Effective Discounts: Calculate the actual percentage saved, especially with multiple discounts.
  • Consider Tax: Remember that sales tax is usually applied after discounts.
  • Check Restrictions: Some discounts cannot be combined or have minimum purchase requirements.
  • Timing Matters: Seasonal sales often offer the deepest discounts (Black Friday, end-of-season clearance).
  • Price Match: Many stores will match competitors' prices, sometimes with an additional discount.

Calculator Features:

  • Calculate simple percentage or fixed amount discounts
  • Handle multiple sequential discounts
  • Compare prices between two items or stores
  • Reverse calculate original price from final price and discount
  • Include sales tax in calculations
  • Visualize price breakdown with charts

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply $50 by 20% (0.20) to get $10. Subtract $10 from $50 to get $40. So 20% off $50 is $40.

Multiple discounts are applied sequentially, not added together. For example, 20% off followed by 10% off is not 30% off. Instead, you take 20% off the original price, then take 10% off the already discounted price.

Divide the discounted price by (1 minus the discount percentage as a decimal). For example, if an item costs $80 after a 20% discount: $80 ÷ (1 - 0.20) = $80 ÷ 0.80 = $100 original price.

Sales tax is almost always applied after discounts are taken. You calculate the final price after discounts, then add the sales tax percentage to that amount.

"Percent off" means you subtract that percentage from the original price (e.g., 20% off $100 = $80). "Percent of" means you pay that percentage of the original price (e.g., 80% of $100 = $80, which is equivalent to 20% off).