Find the sale price and savings for any discount — including stacked double discounts.
Find the sale price and savings for any discount — including stacked double discounts.
Enter values above and click Calculate — results will appear here with the formula explained.
A percentage discount scales the price down by multiplying it by (1 − discount/100). When two discounts stack — say 25% off, then an extra 10% at checkout — they apply one after another rather than adding together. Retailers know most shoppers add; the register multiplies.
That sequencing matters: 25% then 10% gives a combined factor of 0.75 × 0.90 = 0.675, an effective 32.5% discount, not 35%. The calculator shows the true effective rate whenever stacked discounts apply, which is useful for judging 'extra off' promotions. The general rule: effective discount = 1 − (1−D₁)(1−D₂) — for 20% + 10%, that is 1 − 0.8×0.9 = 28%.
Reversing a discount finds the original price: divide the sale price by (1 − discount/100). A $60 tag at 25% off implies $60 ÷ 0.75 = $80 originally. This is the check against inflated 'was' prices — if the implied original never existed at that store, the 'discount' is marketing. Keeping receipts or price-history screenshots for big purchases makes the reversal test practical.
Common promotion structures each hide a different effective rate. 'Buy one get one 50% off' equals 25% off only for exactly two equal-priced items — with three items it is ~16.7% off the basket, with unequal prices even less. 'Buy two get one free' is 33.3% off per item. 'Spend $100, save $20' is 20% only at exactly $100; at $120 it is 16.7%. Convert every offer to an effective rate on your actual basket before comparing.
Tax interacts with discounts in a jurisdiction-dependent way: most US states tax the discounted price, but a few tax the pre-coupon price when the store (not the manufacturer) funds the markdown, and manufacturer coupons are often taxed at full price. The difference is small per item but visible on big-ticket purchases — when precision matters, check the receipt line order (discount before or after tax) rather than assuming.
The deepest trap is discount framing on things you wouldn't otherwise buy. A 70%-off $200 gadget still costs $60 of real money; the '$140 saved' exists only relative to a purchase you never planned. Set the need first, then use this calculator to verify the deal — never let the percentage manufacture the need.
Find the sale price and savings for any discount — including stacked double discounts. Formula: Sale price = Price × (1 − D₁/100) × (1 − D₂/100). Example: An $80 jacket at 25% off sells for $60.
A percentage discount scales the price down by multiplying it by (1 − discount/100). When two discounts stack — say 25% off, then an extra 10% at checkout — they apply one after another rather than adding together. Retailers know most shoppers add; the register multiplies.
That sequencing matters: 25% then 10% gives a combined factor of 0.75 × 0.90 = 0.675, an effective 32.5% discount, not 35%. The calculator shows the true effective rate whenever stacked discounts apply, which is useful for judging 'extra off' promotions. The general rule: effective discount = 1 − (1−D₁)(1−D₂) — for 20% + 10%, that is 1 − 0.8×0.9 = 28%.
Reversing a discount finds the original price: divide the sale price by (1 − discount/100). A $60 tag at 25% off implies $60 ÷ 0.75 = $80 originally. This is the check against inflated 'was' prices — if the implied original never existed at that store, the 'discount' is marketing. Keeping receipts or price-history screenshots for big purchases makes the reversal test practical.
Common promotion structures each hide a different effective rate. 'Buy one get one 50% off' equals 25% off only for exactly two equal-priced items — with three items it is ~16.7% off the basket, with unequal prices even less. 'Buy two get one free' is 33.3% off per item. 'Spend $100, save $20' is 20% only at exactly $100; at $120 it is 16.7%. Convert every offer to an effective rate on your actual basket before comparing.
Tax interacts with discounts in a jurisdiction-dependent way: most US states tax the discounted price, but a few tax the pre-coupon price when the store (not the manufacturer) funds the markdown, and manufacturer coupons are often taxed at full price. The difference is small per item but visible on big-ticket purchases — when precision matters, check the receipt line order (discount before or after tax) rather than assuming.
The deepest trap is discount framing on things you wouldn't otherwise buy. A 70%-off $200 gadget still costs $60 of real money; the '$140 saved' exists only relative to a purchase you never planned. Set the need first, then use this calculator to verify the deal — never let the percentage manufacture the need.
An $80 jacket at 25% off sells for $60. With an extra members-only 10% off, the register applies 0.9 × $60 = $54 — an effective 32.5% total discount, saving $26. A bundle case: 'buy 2 get 1 free' on $30 items means $60 for 3, i.e. $20 each — 33.3% off per item, better than a flat 25%-off sale on the same goods.
Formulas are standard public references (see our methodology). External standards are cited in the text where they apply.
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Report an error