Discount Calculator
The sale price and savings after a percent-off discount.
Input sheet
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A percent-off sign tells you the discount but not the dollars. This calculator converts any percent-off into the exact price you will pay and the amount you save.
How it works
Multiply the price by one minus the discount; the difference is your savings.
The sale price is the original price multiplied by one minus the discount rate; the savings is simply the original minus the sale price. It is the same arithmetic for a 10% coupon or a 70% clearance tag.
Stacked discounts do not add — a 20% coupon on top of a 30% sale is not 50% off. Each percentage applies to the already-reduced price, so the combined effect is smaller than the sum.
Sale price = original price × (1 − discount %); Savings = original price − sale price.
Worked examples
An $80 item at 25% off. → You pay $60.00 and save $20.00.
80 × (1 − 0.25) = 60; 80 − 60 = 20.
A $200 jacket at 40% off. → You pay $120.00 and save $80.00.
200 × (1 − 0.40) = 120.
Tips & gotchas
- Sales tax applies to the discounted price, not the original, so your savings are slightly larger than the sticker math once tax is added back.
- To reverse two stacked discounts, apply them one at a time — multiply by (1 − first) then by (1 − second).
- A 'buy one get one 50% off' deal works out to 25% off across the two items, not 50%.
- Compare the final price to other stores rather than chasing the biggest percentage — a 50%-off sale can still beat or lose to a competitor's everyday price.
FAQ
How do I combine a percent discount with a flat-dollar coupon?
Apply them in the order the retailer specifies — usually the percent first, then subtract the dollar coupon from the reduced price (or vice versa, which can change the total).
What does the markdown need to be to halve the price?
A 50% discount halves the price. To pay one-third of the original you need a 67% (two-thirds-off) discount.
Is a percent off the same as a percent margin?
No. A 25% discount off the retail price is a different figure from a 25% profit margin, which is calculated on cost. Discounts here are always off the listed original price.
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