About this discount calculator
Sale season math sounds easy until you're standing in the shop: "20% off, plus an extra 10% off at the till" versus a flat 25% at the store next door — which is cheaper? (The stack, but barely: 20% then 10% works out to 28% total, not 30%, because the second discount applies to the already-reduced price.) You shouldn't have to do that arithmetic in your head with a queue behind you. This calculator handles straight discounts, stacked extra-percent-off deals, and the reverse question: what was the original price before the discount?
How to use it
- Price after discount: enter the original price and discount percentage — plus the "extra % off" if the shop is stacking offers. You get the final price, the money saved, and the true combined discount.
- Find the original price: enter what you paid and the discount that was applied, and it works backwards — useful for spotting inflated "original" prices on sale tags.
Discount traps worth knowing
- Stacked discounts don't add. "20% off + extra 10% off" is 28% total, not 30% — the second discount applies to the already-reduced price. The calculator shows the true combined figure every time.
- "Up to X% off" usually means one item in the shop is X% off.
- Inflated originals: if the "original price" was raised the week before the sale, the reverse calculator plus a little memory reveals it.
- A discount only saves money on something you were buying anyway — the best percentage in the shop is the one on your actual shopping list.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't 20% off plus 10% off the same as 30% off?
Because the second discount applies to the already-reduced price: 1,000 → 800 after 20%, then 10% off 800 → 720. That's 28% total, not 30%. The calculator always shows the true combined percentage.
How do I check if a 'sale' price is real?
Use the reverse calculator: enter the sale price and claimed discount to see the implied original price. If that 'original' looks higher than the item ever actually sold for, the discount is theater.
Does it work with any currency?
Yes — it's pure percentage math, so NPR, INR, USD or anything else works identically. Enter numbers without the currency symbol.