Discount Stacking Calculator
Calculate the true final price when two discounts apply one after another — stacked percentages don't simply add up.
Final price
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Naive sum would suggest —
Actual total discount —
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How it works
Final price = original × (1 − discount1%) × (1 − discount2%) — NOT a simple sum of the percentagesFrequently Asked Questions
Do two 20% discounts stacked equal 40% off?
No — they compound: a $100 item with 20% off becomes $80, then a further 20% off that $80 is $16, leaving $64 — a 36% total discount, not 40%, because the second discount applies to the already-reduced price.
Does the order of applying discounts matter?
No — mathematically, applying 20% then 15% gives the identical final price as applying 15% then 20%, since multiplication is commutative. The compounding effect is the same regardless of order.
Why is stacked-discount math important for shoppers?
Retailers sometimes advertise 'up to 40% off' by combining smaller discounts, but the real total is always less than the simple sum — knowing this prevents overestimating your actual savings.