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Discount Calculator

What does '40% off' actually cost? Type the original price and discount percentage to see the final price and savings instantly.

Result —

About this calculator

A discount calculator lets you check what a sale really costs before you buy. Retailers price merchandise to make the discount feel bigger than it is — a $99.99 item at "30% off" sounds great until you realise you're saving $30, not the $60 your brain anchored on. Type the original price and the discount, see the final price and the savings amount.

How it works

Two operations: savings = original price × (discount % / 100); final price = original price − savings. Both numbers update as you type.

Common discount tricks to be aware of: "up to 70% off" usually means a small selection of stock at deep discount and most items at much less. "Was $X, now $Y" sometimes uses an inflated original price set just before the sale (illegal in some EU jurisdictions but enforcement varies).

Stacking discounts is rarely as good as it sounds. A 50% off coupon on an item already 20% off is NOT a 70% discount — it's 60%. The math: 100 × 0.80 × 0.50 = $40 final, which is 60% off the original $100. Multiplicative, not additive.

Always compare the final price to a competitor's regular price, not to the inflated "original" price the retailer is showing. The discount percentage is a marketing number; what you actually pay is what matters.

Formula

savings = original_price × (discount_pct / 100)
final_price = original_price − savings

Stacked discounts (NOT additive):
final_price = original × (1 − d1/100) × (1 − d2/100) × …

Examples

$100 item, 25% off

A $100 item with a 25% discount costs $75. You save $25.

Result: You save $25 — Final price $75

$249.99 item, 40% off

A nearly $250 item at 40% off costs $149.99, saving you exactly $100.

Result: You save $100 — Final price $149.99

Frequently asked questions

How do I stack two discounts? +
Multiply, don't add. A 30% off coupon on a 20% off item is NOT 50% off — it's 100 × 0.80 × 0.70 = $56, which is 44% off the original.
Does this calculator handle tax? +
No — it shows the pre-tax price. If you need the final price including sales tax or VAT, apply the discount first, then add tax to the discounted price.
Why does the final price end in odd cents? +
Because percent-off math doesn't always produce round numbers. Retailers usually round to the nearest cent or down to the next 9 — most stores round in the consumer's favour.
Is a bigger discount always a better deal? +
Not necessarily. A 70% off on overpriced merchandise might still cost more than a 20% off elsewhere on the same item. Always compare final prices across retailers.
How do I check if a 'was $X' price is genuine? +
Use a price-tracking tool like Honey or Wayback Machine. In the EU, the 2022 Omnibus Directive requires retailers to show the lowest price in the last 30 days as the "was" reference.

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