Percent Off / Discount Calculator

How this is calculated

Amount saved = original price × (discount ÷ 100). Sale price = original price − amount saved.

Working out a discount step by step

Every percent-off calculation follows the same two steps: find the dollar amount being taken off, then subtract it from the starting price.

Formula

Example: a $50 item at 30% off costs $50 × (1 − 0.30) = $35.

Quick reference table

Common pitfalls

• Stacking discounts incorrectly — 20% off plus 10% off is not 30% off; the second discount applies to the already-reduced price.
• Confusing sale price with amount saved — double-check which number a coupon or ad is actually quoting.
• Rounding too early — round only the final answer, not intermediate steps, to avoid small errors on larger totals.

Tips

• For a quick mental estimate, 10% off is just moving the decimal point one place left.
• To back into an original price from a sale tag, divide the sale price by (1 − discount rate).

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a percentage off a price? Multiply the original price by the discount percentage (as a decimal) to get the amount saved, then subtract that from the original price to get the sale price.

What is 25% off $80? 25% of $80 is $20, so the sale price is $80 minus $20, which equals $60.

How do I find the original price from a sale price? Divide the sale price by (1 minus the discount rate as a decimal). For example, a $60 item after a 25% discount had an original price of $60 divided by 0.75, which is $80.

Can I stack two discounts, like 20% off and then an extra 10% off? Yes, but apply them one after another rather than adding the percentages — 20% off then 10% off a $100 item is $80, then $72, not a flat 30% off $70.

Is percent off the same as a percentage-point discount? For a single discount, percent off and the amount taken off are directly related, but stacking multiple percent-off discounts is not the same as adding the percentages together, since each one applies to a different, smaller base price.

What is 20 percent off $50? 20% of $50 is $10, so the sale price is $40.

What is 15 percent off $100? 15% of $100 is $15, so the sale price is $85.

How do I calculate a buy-one-get-one 50% off deal? Apply the 50% discount only to the second item, then add both prices — two $30 items at BOGO 50% off cost $30 + $15 = $45 total.

Worked examples

Example 1 — Clothing sale: A $65 jacket at 40% off → you save $26, sale price $39.

Example 2 — Stacked discounts: A $120 item at 25% off, then an extra 10% off at checkout → $120 × 0.75 = $90, then $90 × 0.90 = $81 — not $120 × 0.65 = $78.

Example 3 — Finding the original price: A clearance tag shows $54 after 40% off → original price = $54 ÷ (1 − 0.40) = $90.