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Discount Calculator

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Find the sale price and amount saved from a discount percentage, including how two stacked discounts combine.

Discount Calculator

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Final price
$90.00
Amount saved
$30.00
Effective discount
25.00%

The formula

Final price = Original price x (1 - Discount 1) x (1 - Discount 2) Amount saved = Original price - Final price
Example

A $120 item at 25% off: final price = 120 x 0.75 = $90.00, saving $30.00. Stacking a second 10% discount on top gives 90 x 0.90 = $81.00 - notice the combined effect is 32.5% off, not a simple 35%.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Enter the original price.
  2. Enter the discount percentage.
  3. Add a second discount if two offers stack, and check the effective combined percentage - it's always less than simply adding the two percentages together.

Why stacked discounts don't just add up

A common assumption is that "25% off, plus another 10% off" equals 35% off total - but each discount applies to the already-discounted price, not the original, so the combined effect is always somewhat less than the sum. Two 25% discounts stacked, for instance, give 43.75% off total (0.75 x 0.75 = 0.5625, or 56.25% of the original price remaining), not 50%.

Common mistakes

Simply adding two discount percentages together (25% + 10% = 35%) - stacked discounts always combine to less than the sum, since each applies to the already-reduced price.
Applying a discount before tax when the retailer's policy actually calculates tax on the pre-discount price, or vice versa - policies vary, so check which order applies to your specific situation.

Frequently asked questions

Does the order of two stacked discounts matter?

No - mathematically, applying 25% then 10% gives the exact same final price as applying 10% then 25%, since multiplication is commutative. The order doesn't change the result.

How do I find the original price from a discounted price?

Divide the discounted price by (1 - discount rate) - for example, a $90 sale price after a 25% discount means the original price was 90 / 0.75 = $120.

Is a "buy one get one 50% off" the same as 25% off both items?

Yes, mathematically - if both items are the same price, paying full price for one and half price for the other averages out to exactly 25% off each, the same total savings either way it's phrased.

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