Stacked Discount Calculator

See the real saving when discounts stack.

How it is calculated

The two percentages are applied one after the other, not added. final = price × (1 − d1/100) × (1 − d2/100), saved = price − final and effective % = saved ÷ price × 100. The second discount works on the price left after the first, so the effective rate is always lower than d1 + d2 as long as both are above zero. Because multiplication is commutative, the order of the two discounts does not change the final price.

The price must be zero or more, and each discount must be between 0 and 100; a discount of 120, or a negative price, gives no result. A 100% discount makes the final price zero. Amounts are shown in dollars with two decimals. Tax, shipping and minimum-spend conditions are not included.

Worked example

An item costs $80. A storewide sale takes 30% off, then a coupon takes 15% off the sale price. After the first discount: 80 × 0.70 = $56.00. After the second: 56 × 0.85 = $47.60. Saved: 80 − 47.60 = $32.40, which is 32.40 ÷ 80 = 40.50% of the original price. Adding the percentages would have suggested 45% off, or $36.00, so the real saving is $3.60 less than it appears.

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Common mistakes

  • Adding the percentages (30% + 15% = 45%). The second discount applies to the already-reduced price, so the real saving here is 40.50%.
  • Applying the second percentage to the original price instead of the sale price, which overstates the saving.
  • Assuming the order matters. 15% then 30% gives exactly the same $47.60 as 30% then 15%, so only the two percentages count.
  • Typing a discount as a decimal (0.30) instead of a percent (30), which gives almost no discount.
  • Expecting the result to include VAT or sales tax. It is calculated on the shelf price only, so add tax after the discounts if it applies.

Sources

About this calculator

This calculator finds the true final price when two discounts are applied sequentially rather than added together — final price = original price × (1 − d₁) × (1 − d₂) — which always saves less than simply adding the two percentages would suggest, since the second discount applies to the already-reduced price. The gap between the "apparent" combined discount and the real effective discount grows as the discounts get larger.

Shoppers stacking a storewide sale with a coupon code, and retailers or e-commerce managers setting promotional pricing rules, use this to see the real percentage saved and the effective single discount rate that two stacked discounts amount to.

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