Discount Calculator

Stop Guessing the Sale Price

We have all been there: You are standing in the middle of a crowded store during a Black Friday sale. You spot a jacket originally priced at $150. The rack says "40% Off," but you also have a coupon in your email for an "Extra 15% Off."

You try to do the math in your head: "40 plus 15 is 55... so it's 55% off?" Wrong.

Retail math is deceptively tricky. Stores use stacked discounts, tiered pricing, and sales tax to make it difficult for consumers to know the exact final price. Our Discount Calculator above does the heavy lifting for you, instantly calculating single discounts, double discounts, and the final tax hit so you know exactly what will be charged to your card.

The "Double Discount" Trap: Explained

One of the most common marketing tricks in retail is the "Double Discount." This is when a store offers a base discount (e.g., "Sale Items 50% Off") and then offers a bonus discount (e.g., "Take an extra 20% off sale items").

Most shoppers instinctively add the two numbers together: 50% + 20% = 70%. However, this is incorrect. Double discounts are applied sequentially, not simultaneously. This is also known as a "Stackable Discount."

How to Calculate Percentages Mentally

If you find yourself without our calculator handy, you can use the "10% Method" to estimate discounts quickly in your head. This method works by breaking down complex percentages into manageable chunks.

Step 1: Find 10%

To find 10% of any number, simply move the decimal point one spot to the left.

• 10% of $80.00 is $8.00.
• 10% of $45.00 is $4.50.
• 10% of $129.00 is $12.90.

Step 2: Multiply and Add

Once you have 10%, you can find almost any other percentage:

• 20% Off: Take the 10% number and double it. ($8.00 x 2 = $16 off).
• 30% Off: Take the 10% number and triple it. ($8.00 x 3 = $24 off).
• 5% Off: Take the 10% number and cut it in half. (Half of $8.00 is $4.00).
• 15% Off: Add the 10% number ($8.00) plus the 5% number ($4.00) = $12.00 off.

When Does Sales Tax Apply?

In most jurisdictions (US states and Canadian provinces), Sales Tax is calculated on the final discounted price, not the original price. This is good news for your wallet!

However, there is a major exception involving Manufacturer Rebates versus Store Coupons:

Retail Psychology: 3 Tricks to Watch For

Stores invest millions into understanding consumer psychology. Here are three common pricing tricks designed to make you buy:

1. The Anchor Price

Stores will often display an artificially high "MSRP" or "Compare At" price next to the selling price. The item may have never actually sold for that high price, but seeing "$200" crossed out makes "$120" feel like a steal, even if $120 is the standard market value.

2. The "Left-Digit Effect"

A price of $19.99 feels significantly cheaper than $20.00 because our brains process the first digit (1 vs 2) before reading the cents. This is why almost all sale prices end in .99, .97, or .95.

3. BOGO (Buy One, Get One)

"Buy One Get One Free" sounds amazing, but mathematically it is simply a 50% discount that forces you to buy two units. If you only needed one shirt, but you bought two to get the deal, you actually spent more money than you intended. Always ask: "Would I buy two of these if they were just 50% off?"

Calculating Value Per Use

A discount isn't a deal if you never use the item. A $500 jacket marked down to $200 seems like a $300 savings. But if you only wear it once, the Cost Per Wear is $200.

Conversely, a $100 pair of jeans bought at full price that you wear 100 times has a Cost Per Wear of $1. Sometimes, paying full price for a high-quality staple item is financially smarter than buying a "deal" that sits in your closet.