How to calculate a discount
A discount is a percentage taken off the original price. The savings and sale price come from two short steps:
Savings = Price × (Discount % ÷ 100)
Sale price = Price − Savings
A 25% discount on an $80 item saves $20, leaving a sale price of $60.
Why stacked discounts save less than they look
Stores love "25% off, plus an extra 10%." It sounds like 35% off, but the second discount applies to the already-reduced price. On that $80 item: 25% off gives $60, then 10% off $60 is $6, for a final price of $54 — a true discount of 32.5%, not 35%. This calculator handles the stacking for you and shows the effective discount.
Working backward to the original price
To check a deal, reverse the math: divide the sale price by 1 minus the discount as a decimal. A $54 jacket marked "32.5% off" came from 54 ÷ 0.675 = $80. If the "original" price seems inflated, the discount may be less generous than advertised.
A quick example
A $120 pair of shoes is 40% off with an extra 15% coupon. After 40% the price is $72; the 15% coupon takes off another $10.80, landing at $61.20 — a 49% effective discount and $58.80 saved.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a discount?
Multiply the original price by the discount percentage as a decimal to get the savings, then subtract from the original price. A 25% discount on a $80 item is 80 × 0.25 = $20 off, for a sale price of $60.
How do stacked or extra discounts work?
A second discount usually applies to the already-reduced price, not the original. So "25% off, then an extra 10%" means 10% off the discounted price — not 35% off. This calculator applies the second discount to the price after the first, which is how most stores ring it up.
Is 25% off then 10% off the same as 35% off?
No. Stacking 25% and 10% gives a total of 32.5% off, because the 10% comes off a smaller number. Two discounts always save less than simply adding the percentages together.
How do I find the original price from a sale price?
Divide the sale price by (1 minus the discount as a decimal). If an item is $60 after 25% off, the original was 60 ÷ 0.75 = $80. This is handy for checking whether a "sale" is really a deal.