Discount Calculator
Find the sale price and see exactly how much you save. Enter any price and percent-off, compare two competing deals, and understand stacked-coupon math.
Compare two discounts Bonus
Which is better on $89.99?
Deal B is cheaper by $9.00.
Your result
Sale price (you pay)
$67.49
You save $22.50 (25%)
Original
$89.99
Amount saved
$22.50
Sale price = original price × (1 − discount ÷ 100). Sales tax, if any, is usually added after the discount.
How discounts work
A percentage discount removes part of the price: “25% off” means the store subtracts 25% and you pay the remaining 75%. Dollar-off coupons (“$20 off $100”) subtract a fixed amount instead, and “buy one, get one” offers halve the per-item price only if you genuinely needed both items.
The honest way to judge any discount is by the final price you pay — not the advertised percent, not the “you save” badge. A 40% discount on an inflated price can cost more than 10% off a fair one.
How to calculate a percentage discount
Multiply the original price by the discount as a decimal to find the savings, and subtract from the original for the sale price. Faster: multiply by the “you pay” share directly — for 25% off, multiply by 0.75 in a single step.
Mental shortcuts: 10% is the decimal moved one place ($89.99 → ~$9 off); 25% is dividing by 4; 50% is halving. Build other percentages from these anchors.
Sale prices and stacked coupons
When a coupon applies on top of a sale (“extra 10% off sale prices”), the discounts multiply — they don’t add. On $100: 20% off leaves $80, then 10% off $80 removes $8 more, leaving $72. The true combined discount is 28%, computed as 0.80 × 0.90 = 0.72 paid.
Stacked example
How to compare two discounts
Never compare percentages when starting prices differ. Compute each option’s final total — including shipping and estimated tax — and pick the lowest. The calculator’s compare helper does exactly this: enter both percents and it names the cheaper deal and the exact difference.
| Deal | Math | Final |
|---|---|---|
| $200 at 30% off | $200 × 0.70 | $140.00 |
| $260 at 40% off | $260 × 0.60 | $156.00 |
| $150 at 10% off, free ship | $150 × 0.90 | $135.00 ✓ |
Examples
| Original | Discount | You save | Sale price |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120.00 | 10% | $12.00 | $108.00 |
| $89.99 | 25% | $22.50 | $67.49 |
| $240.00 | 40% | $96.00 | $144.00 |
| $59.50 | 50% | $29.75 | $29.75 |
Remember: savings are only real if you wanted the item near full price. A $96 “saving” on something you wouldn’t otherwise buy is $144 of spending, not $96 of earning.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate 25% off?
Multiply the price by 0.75. A $80 item at 25% off is $80 × 0.75 = $60. You save $20. The calculator above shows both numbers instantly.
Do stacked discounts add up?
No — each applies in sequence. 20% off plus an extra 10% off equals 28% off total (0.80 × 0.90 = 0.72 paid). Adding them to 30% overstates the savings.
Is sales tax applied before or after a discount?
In most places, after — the discount lowers the taxable subtotal first, so you pay tax only on the reduced price. Rules vary by jurisdiction.
How do I compare two sale deals?
Compute each option’s final out-the-door total (price minus discount, plus shipping and tax) and compare totals. The lowest total wins regardless of the advertised percent.
What’s the difference between a discount and a markdown?
They usually mean the same thing to shoppers: a price reduction. Retailers sometimes use “markdown” for permanent price drops and “discount” for temporary promotions.
Educational information only. For educational and informational purposes only. This website does not provide personalized financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.