Discount & Retail Markdown Calculator

During massive sales events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, calculating exactly how much you are saving (and what the final hit to your wallet will be) is essential for budgeting. Our discount calculator instantly handles the retail math for you.

How to Calculate a Discount Manually

If you don't have our calculator handy, the fastest way to calculate a discount mentally is to multiply the price by the remaining percentage you have to pay.

If an $80 jacket is 20% off, that means you have to pay 80% of the price. Simply multiply 80 × 0.8 = 64. The final price is $64.

The "Stacking Discounts" Illusion

Retailers often use manipulative marketing tactics by advertising "Take an extra 20% off already reduced 30% clearance items!". Human intuition assumes this means 50% off (30 + 20). This is mathematically false.

Discounts stack multiplicatively, not additively. The second discount only applies to the remaining balance of the first.

• Original Price: $100
• First 30% Off: Price drops to $70.
• Extra 20% Off: Applies to the $70, taking off $14.
• Final Price: $56.

You received a total actual discount of 44%, not 50%!