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Discount Calculator - Calculate Sale Prices & Savings Instantly

Free online discount calculator. Calculate discount prices, find original prices from sale prices, and compute double discounts. Fast, accurate savings calculator.

9 min read

iAbout This Calculator

The discount calculator is your essential shopping companion for making smart purchasing decisions. Whether you're hunting for the best deals during Black Friday sales, comparing prices across different stores, or trying to figure out how much you'll actually save with that enticing '40% off' sign, this tool provides instant, accurate results. Our calculator handles three key scenarios: calculating the final price after a discount, finding the original price when you only know the sale price and discount percentage, and computing the effective discount when multiple discounts are applied consecutively (double discounts). Understanding these calculations helps you avoid common pricing traps and ensures you're getting the value you expect. With retail psychology designed to make discounts seem more attractive than they are, having this calculator at your fingertips empowers you to make informed decisions based on actual numbers, not marketing hype.

?How to Use

  1. 1

    Select your calculation type from the dropdown menu. Choose 'Calculate discounted price' for standard discount calculations, 'Find original price' when reverse-engineering a sale price, or 'Calculate double discount' for stacked promotions.

  2. 2

    For standard discounts: Enter the original price and the discount percentage. For example, if an item costs $150 and has a 25% discount, enter 150 and 25 respectively.

  3. 3

    For finding original prices: Enter the final sale price and the discount percentage that was applied. If something costs $75 after a 25% discount, the calculator will reveal the original price was $100.

  4. 4

    For double discounts: Enter the original price, first discount percentage, and second discount percentage. This calculates the true combined discount when stores offer promotions like '30% off plus an additional 20% off'.

  5. 5

    Click Calculate to see your results, including a detailed breakdown showing the original price, discount amount(s), and final price.

fFormula

\text{Final Price} = \text{Original Price} \times (1 - \frac{\text{Discount}}{100})

To calculate a discounted price, multiply the original price by (1 minus the discount percentage divided by 100). For double discounts, apply each discount sequentially: first discount the original price, then discount the result. Important: Double discounts are NOT additive - a 30% + 20% discount does NOT equal 50% off. The actual combined discount is always less because the second discount applies to an already-reduced price.

Original Price
The full retail price before any discounts
Discount
The percentage reduction (e.g., 25 for 25% off)
Final Price
The amount you actually pay after discounts

Examples

Standard Discount Calculation

Inputs: originalPrice: 200, discountPercent: 30
$140

30% of $200 = $60 discount. Final price: $200 - $60 = $140. You save $60 on this purchase.

Finding Original Price from Sale Price

Inputs: finalPrice: 84, discountPercent: 30
$120

If $84 is 70% of the original (100% - 30% discount), then original = $84 / 0.70 = $120

Double Discount Calculation

Inputs: originalPrice: 100, discount1: 30, discount2: 20
$56 (44% total discount)

First discount: $100 x 0.70 = $70. Second discount: $70 x 0.80 = $56. Combined: 44% off, not 50%!

Comparing Sale Offers

Inputs: originalPrice: 250, discountPercent: 40
$150

A 40% discount on $250 saves you $100. Final price is $150 - useful for comparing with competitor prices.

Use Cases

Retail Shopping

Calculate exactly how much you'll pay during sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or end-of-season clearances. Compare actual savings across different stores and discount offers.

Price Comparison

When different stores offer the same item at different original prices with different discount percentages, calculate which deal actually gives you the lowest final price.

Budget Planning

Know exactly what you'll spend before heading to the checkout. Input your planned purchases with their discounts to ensure you stay within budget.

Business Pricing

Retailers and business owners use discount calculators to set sale prices, ensure profit margins remain acceptable, and create promotional pricing strategies.

Coupon Stacking

When stores allow combining coupons with sale prices, calculate the true final price. Remember: stacked discounts are multiplicative, not additive.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate the final price after a discount?
Multiply the original price by (100 - discount percentage) / 100. For example, for a $80 item with 25% off: $80 x (100-25)/100 = $80 x 0.75 = $60. Alternatively, calculate the discount amount (25% of $80 = $20) and subtract it from the original price.
Why isn't a 30% discount plus a 20% discount equal to 50% off?
Because the second discount applies to the already-discounted price, not the original. On a $100 item: 30% off gives $70, then 20% off $70 is $14, leaving $56. That's 44% off total. The second discount has a smaller base to work with.
How do I find the original price if I only know the sale price and discount?
Divide the sale price by (100 - discount percentage) / 100. If something costs $75 after 25% off, the original was $75 / 0.75 = $100. This reverses the discount calculation.
Which is better: 40% off or buy two get one free?
It depends on quantity. Buy-two-get-one-free equals 33% off when buying exactly 3 items. So 40% off is better for any quantity. But if you only need two items, the 40% off deal wins regardless.
How do I calculate discount percentage from original and sale price?
Use the formula: ((Original - Sale) / Original) x 100. If original is $80 and sale price is $60: (($80-$60) / $80) x 100 = 25%. This tells you the discount percentage applied.
Does sales tax apply before or after the discount?
Sales tax applies to the final discounted price, not the original price. If you buy a $100 item at 30% off ($70 final price) with 8% tax, you pay $70 x 1.08 = $75.60, not $108 - 30% = $75.60. The result is the same, but conceptually tax applies after discount.

Conclusion

Understanding discount calculations empowers you to be a smarter shopper and make purchasing decisions based on real numbers rather than marketing psychology. Whether you're calculating simple percentage-off deals, reverse-engineering original prices from sale tags, or navigating complex double-discount promotions, this calculator provides the accurate information you need. Bookmark this tool for your next shopping trip, and remember: the best deal isn't always the one with the biggest percentage - it's the one that saves you the most money on items you actually need.