Discount & Sale Price Calculator
Enter the original price and the percentage off to instantly see the final price and your savings. You can stack a second discount (like an extra coupon on a sale item) to see what you'll really pay at the till.
What a "30% off" really comes to
A percentage discount is easy to misread, especially once a second offer is involved. The single most common mistake is assuming that stacking 30% off and then 10% off equals 40% off. It doesn't: the extra 10% is taken from the already-reduced price, so the true saving is about 37%. This calculator handles that compounding correctly, and adds sales tax if you want the real out-the-door figure.
Reading discounts like a sceptic
A big percentage is only meaningful if the "original" price was real. Retailers sometimes inflate a reference price so the discount looks larger — a practice regulators such as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission treat as deceptive when the "was" price was never genuine. Before you celebrate a number, check the price history and compare against other sellers.
Watch out: "up to 70% off" usually means a tiny handful of items are 70% off and most are far less. And a 50%-off item you didn't need is still 100% of money spent.
How to use this tool
- Enter the original price and the headline discount.
- Add a second discount to model a stacked coupon or member offer — the tool compounds them correctly.
- Optionally add your local sales tax to see the final amount you'll actually pay.
To judge whether the sale itself is well-timed, see our month-by-month sales calendar, and learn the wider tricks in how to spot a good deal.
FAQ
How do I calculate a percentage discount?
Multiply the original price by the discount percentage to find the amount off, then subtract it from the original. For example, 30% off $120 is $120 × 0.30 = $36 off, leaving a sale price of $84. This calculator does it instantly and can also stack a second discount and add sales tax for the final amount you pay.
Is 30% off plus 10% off the same as 40% off?
No — and this trips up a lot of shoppers. The second discount is applied to the already-reduced price, not the original. 30% off $100 is $70; a further 10% off $70 is $63, which is a 37% total saving, not 40%. Stacked percentages always come out a little lower than their simple sum, which this tool calculates for you.
How can I tell if a discount is genuine?
Check the price history and compare other retailers. A large percentage means nothing if the 'original' price was inflated to make the deal look bigger — a tactic regulators consider deceptive when the reference price was never real. Tools and browser extensions that track price history help, and a quick search across sellers shows whether the 'sale' price is actually the going rate.
Should I buy something just because it's discounted?
No. A discount only saves you money on something you were genuinely going to buy. A half-price item you didn't need is still money spent, not money saved — and impulse 'bargains' are a leading cause of buyer's remorse. Decide you want the item first, then use the discount to pay less for it, rather than letting the discount create the want.