Use this free discount calculator, also called a percent off calculator, to calculate the discount amount, the final price and your savings easily. Enter the original price and a discount percentage, such as 10%, 20% or any other, or an amount off, and see how much you save on any purchase. You can also work out the percent off from two prices, or find the original price before a discount, and add an extra discount or sales tax. A table and a chart show common discounts. It is free and instant, and your numbers stay in your browser.
What is a discount?
A discount is an amount taken off the original price of something. It is usually shown as a percentage, such as “30% off”. The calculator turns that into the money you save and the price you actually pay.
How to calculate a discount: the formulas
| You want to know | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Amount you save | Original price × discount % ÷ 100 | 2,500 × 30 ÷ 100 = 750 |
| Sale price | Original price − amount saved | 2,500 − 750 = 1,750 |
| Discount % | (Original − sale) ÷ original × 100 | (2,500 − 1,750) ÷ 2,500 × 100 = 30% |
| Original price | Sale price ÷ (1 − discount % ÷ 100) | 1,750 ÷ 0.70 = 2,500 |
20% off or $20 off?
A number with “off” can mean a percentage or an amount. Take a $35 item. If it is 20% off, you save $7 and pay $28. If it is $20 off, you pay $15. On the Sale price tab, use the “% off” and “$ off” switch to choose which one you mean. The percent off chart under the calculator lists the price you pay for common prices and discounts.
Two discounts are not added together
When a shop takes 20% off and then a further 10% off, the second discount is worked out on the already reduced price. So the total discount is not 30%.
Example: a 1,000 item with 20% off costs 800. Taking 10% off that is 80 less, so you pay 720. You saved 280, which is a 28% discount overall.
Discounts and tax
In most places tax is charged on the price after the discount. If the 720 item above carries 5% tax, the tax is 36 and the final price is 756. Rules can differ by country and by shop, so check your receipt if the exact amount matters.
Finding the original price
If you only know the sale price and the discount, divide the sale price by (1 minus the discount). An item that costs 1,750 after 30% off originally cost 1,750 ÷ 0.70 = 2,500. Do not simply add 30% to 1,750, because 30% of the sale price is smaller than 30% of the original.
Quick ways to work out a discount in your head
- 10% off: move the decimal point one place to the left. (10% of 80 is 8.)
- 20% off: work out 10% and double it. (10% of 80 is 8, so 20% is 16 and you pay 64.)
- 25% off: divide by 4. 50% off: divide by 2.
- 15% off: add 10% and half of 10%.
Getting a real bargain
- Compare the final price with other shops, not just the “original” price on the tag.
- For groceries and household goods, compare the price per unit (per kg, per liter or per item).
- Read the wording. “Up to 50% off” means only some items are reduced that much.
- Check for delivery fees, minimum spend rules and expiry dates on coupon codes.
