Does 20% off then 10% off equal 30% off?

No. The second discount applies to the already-reduced price, giving 0.8 × 0.9 = 0.72, which is 28% off, not 30%.

How do I find the original price from a discounted one?

Divide the sale price by (1 − discount/100). An $84 price after 30% off came from 84 ÷ 0.70 = $120.

How can I spot a fake discount?

Check that the 'was' price is one the item was genuinely sold at. An inflated original price makes the saving look bigger than it really is.

How to Calculate a Discount (and the Final Price)

Published 10/31/2025 · 3 min read · Finance calculators

Camille Laurent — Finance writer at OneKitly

Tax · Personal finance

Checked against 2 sources

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In short

To calculate a discount, multiply the price by the discount percentage divided by 100 — that's the amount saved. Subtract it from the price for the final cost, or take the shortcut: final price = price × (1 − discount/100). An $80 jacket at 25% off saves 80 × 0.25 = $20, so it costs $60.

A clothing store interior with sale signs above the rails. — Jahra Tasfia Reza · Pexels · Pexels

A discount is a percentage off a price. Here's how to find the amount saved and the final price — plus how to stack discounts and spot fake deals.

The quick formula

The fastest way to the final price is price × (1 − rate), where the rate is the discount as a decimal. A $120 item at 30% off is 120 × (1 − 0.30) = 120 × 0.70 = $84. This one line skips the separate 'amount saved' step and is easy to do in your head with round numbers.

Finding what you save

Sometimes the saving itself is the number you want, for comparing two offers. Multiply the price by the discount as a decimal: 30% off $120 saves 120 × 0.30 = $36. A bigger percentage off a cheaper item can save less in absolute terms than a smaller percentage off a pricier one — the dollars saved, not the percentage, decide the better deal.

Stacking discounts (they don't add up)

Two discounts in a row are not one big discount. '20% off, then 10% off' is not 30% off, because the second cut applies to the already-reduced price: 0.80 × 0.90 = 0.72, so the total is 28% off. Multiply the remaining fractions together rather than adding the percentages — the order does not matter, but the arithmetic does.

Working back to the original price

To find the original price from a sale price, divide by (1 − rate). If something costs $84 after 30% off, the original was 84 ÷ 0.70 = $120. This is handy for checking a claimed discount — if the maths doesn't match the 'was' price, the deal may be less generous than it looks.

Worked with our own calculator

Discount calculator

Given

Original price: $200.00
Discount (%): 22

Result

You save: $44.00
Final price: $156.00

These figures are produced by the calculator below, not typed in by hand — they are recomputed whenever the tool changes.

Run it on your own figures →

Frequently asked questions

Does 20% off then 10% off equal 30% off?: No. The second discount applies to the already-reduced price, giving 0.8 × 0.9 = 0.72, which is 28% off, not 30%.
How do I find the original price from a discounted one?: Divide the sale price by (1 − discount/100). An $84 price after 30% off came from 84 ÷ 0.70 = $120.
How can I spot a fake discount?: Check that the 'was' price is one the item was genuinely sold at. An inflated original price makes the saving look bigger than it really is.

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Sources

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