Discount Calculator — Sale Price & Total Savings
Calculate the sale price after any discount percent — see final price, amount saved, and what stacking a second discount does.
Last reviewed 2026-10-18. Rates change — verify against the official sources linked below before relying on these figures.
What this is based on
- Stacked discounts apply sequentially — 20% + 10% off means ×0.8 ×0.9 = 28% off, not 30%.
- Sales tax applies to the discounted price in most jurisdictions and is not included.
Stacked discounts multiply — they never add
The most common checkout misconception: '30% off plus an extra 20% off' is not 50% off. The second discount applies to the already-reduced price: $100 → $80 → $64, an effective 36% off. Retailers know this — 'extra 20% off sale items' sounds bigger than it is.
The math: effective discount = 1 − (1−d₁)(1−d₂). Three stacked 20% discounts give 48.8% off total, not 60%.
The seller's side of the discount
Discounts come straight out of margin, not revenue. A 25% discount on a product with 30% margin leaves 5% — you're working nearly free. The discount 'trap' math: to earn the same profit at 25% off, you need to sell ~66% more units. Run the margin calculator alongside this one before scheduling a sale.
The pricing trick that makes discounts legal
Ever notice how 'was $199, now $79' items are never sold at $199? In most jurisdictions the 'was' price must have been genuinely offered recently — but the rules get stretched constantly. If you're the buyer, compare the final price across stores, not the percent off; if you're the seller, fake anchor prices are an actual legal risk, not a growth hack.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you calculate 25% off a price?
- Multiply the price by 0.75 (1 − 0.25). $80 at 25% off = $60. The discount amount is price × 0.25.
- Is 30% off + 20% off the same as 50% off?
- No — stacked discounts multiply: 30% then 20% off = ×0.7 ×0.8 = 56% remaining, i.e. 44% off, not 50%.
- How much is 40% off $50?
- $30 — you save $20.
- What is the formula for discounted price?
- Final price = original × (1 − discount%). For a stack: original × (1−d₁) × (1−d₂).
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