Percentage off
Multiply the original price by the percentage to find the saving, then subtract it. 20% off 100.00 saves 20.00 and leaves 80.00.
Sequential discounts
A second discount applies to the already reduced price. A further 10% off the 80.00 saves 8.00, leaving 72.00: a total reduction of 28%, not 30%.
Multi-buy offers
“3 for 2” means paying for two items and getting three, so each costs two-thirds of the normal price, a 33.3% saving per item — but only if you would have used all three. Convert any multi-buy to a price per item or per unit before comparing.
Compare with the genuine normal price
A discount is only as good as the reference price. Check the usual price and the unit price before treating an offer as a saving.
Practical checklist
- Separate loyalty points from immediate cash savings.
- Check whether a discount applies before or after other offers.
- The calculator rejects discounts above 100%.
