How to Calculate a Discount - Step by Step
The discount calculator turns a price and a percent off into the sale price and the amount you save, live as you type. These are the exact inputs, what each accepts, and how the coupon and tax fields extend the result.
Step 1 - open the tool
Open the calculator and a full result is already on screen: it loads with a price of 80 and 25% off, so the sale price (60), the savings (20) and the reference table are visible before you type anything.
Step 2 - enter the price and the percent off
Type the sticker price into the first field and the discount into the second. The discount accepts half-percent steps from 0 to 100, and every keystroke recalculates - there is no submit button. The sale price and the you-save line update immediately.
Step 3 - stack an extra coupon
If the deal adds a coupon on top ("extra 10% off at checkout"), enter it in the third field. The coupon applies to the already-reduced price, so 25% off followed by an extra 10% is 32.5% off in total - not 35% - and the result spells out the true combined percentage.
Step 4 - add sales tax if you want the register price
Enter a flat tax percent in the fourth field and the breakdown gains two rows: the tax amount and the final price at the register. The tax applies after the discounts. Leave it at 0 to stay at the pre-tax sale price.
Step 5 - read the breakdown and the reference table
The breakdown table walks every step from the original price to the final amount. Below it, a reference table prices 10% to 70% off against your amount - handy when you are deciding between racks rather than checking one tag.
The situations where the quick math pays off are in the use-cases guide; the honest comparison with mental math and a spreadsheet is in the alternatives guide.
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