Percentage Discount Calculator
Percent off, in both directions.
Sale price
$60.00
$20.00 saved
How the Percentage Discount Calculator works
Three related questions get asked of a discount: what is the sale price, what percentage is this reduction, and what was it before. All three are one formula rearranged, and the third is the one people get wrong.
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price — check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out the percentage discount between two prices?
(Original − sale) ÷ original × 100. From £80 to £60 is 20 ÷ 80 = 25% off. The base is always the original price.
How do I find the original price from a discounted one?
Divide, do not add back. A £45 price after 40% off was 45 ÷ 0.60 = £75. Adding 40% to £45 gives £63, which is wrong because the 40% applied to the larger original figure.
How do stacked discounts combine?
Multiplicatively. 30% then 20% is 0.70 × 0.80 = 0.56, so 44% off — not 50%. Retailers rely on the intuition that they add.
Is a percentage or a fixed amount more persuasive?
The rule of 100 is a useful guide: under £100, percentages feel larger; over £100, fixed amounts do. £20 off a £50 item reads as smaller than 40% off, even though they are identical.