How a discount is calculated
A percentage discount comes off the original price. 25% off an $80 item removes $20, leaving $60. This tool shows the final price, the exact amount you save, and — when you stack discounts — your effective discount, so you can compare two deals at a glance.
Stacked discounts don't add up
"30% off, then an extra 20%" is not 50% off. The second cut is taken from the already-reduced price, so a $100 item becomes $70, then $56 — an effective discount of 44%, not 50%. Enter both percentages in the discount and second discount fields above and the calculator does the stacking for you.
Effective discount rate
The effective rate is the single percentage that would give the same final price. It is the honest number to compare offers with: "40% off" in one shop can beat "30% + 15%" in another, even though the second sounds bigger. When the effective rate is lower than the two numbers added together, that is normal — stacking always does this.
Sales tax at the till
In many places the advertised price is before tax, and tax is added to the discounted amount at checkout. Enter your local rate in the sales tax field to see the real amount you will pay. Leave it at 0 if tax is already included or doesn't apply.
Spotting a fake sale
A "was $99, now $79" sign only means something if $99 was ever the real price. Some retailers raise the "original" price shortly before a sale so the discount looks larger. Judge a deal by the final price against what you would happily pay — not by the size of the percentage.
Tools that pair with this one
- Compound Interest Calculator — see what the money you just saved could grow to if you put it aside
- Tip Calculator — splitting a discounted restaurant bill? add the tip and divide it here
Taxes, fees and final pricing vary by shop and country — confirm at checkout.