Quick answer: Sale price = price × (1 − discount ÷ 100): 500 with 20% off is 500 × 0.8 = 400.00, so you save 100.00.
How it's calculated
Take the discount from 100 to get the share you still pay, then multiply: with 20% off you pay 80%, so 500 becomes 500 × 0.8 = 400.00. The amount you save is the difference, 100.00.
"Extra 10% off sale prices" means the second discount is taken off the already reduced price, so discounts are never simply added. 30% off and then 10% off 1,000 gives 700.00 and then 630.00: 37% off in total, not 40%. The calculator shows the total discount for you.
Prices are rounded to 2 decimal places (whole halalas or fils) at each step, as a till does. 299.99 with 25% off is 224.9925, which rounds to 224.99.
A percentage price cut is the same as a percentage change downwards, and a discount is just a percentage of the price taken off. If the price includes VAT, the sale price includes it too; the Saudi VAT calculator splits a total into price and VAT.
Worked examples
- 500 SAR with 20% off: 500.00 × (1 − 20%) = 400.00; saved 100.00
- 1,000 AED with 30% off, then an extra 10% off: 1,000.00 × (1 − 30%) = 700.00; 700.00 × (1 − 10%) = 630.00; total discount 37%
- 299.99 with 25% off: 299.99 × (1 − 25%) = 224.9925 → 224.99; saved 75.00
Stacked discounts are not added together
Each discount applies to the price left after the one before. On a price of 1,000:
| First discount | Second discount | Final price | Total discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | 10% | 810.00 | 19% |
| 20% | 10% | 720.00 | 28% |
| 30% | 10% | 630.00 | 37% |
| 50% | 50% | 250.00 | 75% |
Finding the original price
To work back from a sale price, divide by the share you paid: a sale price of 360 after 40% off was 360 ÷ 0.6 = 600 before the discount. Check it here: 600 with 40% off gives 360.00.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the price after a discount?
Multiply the price by (1 − discount ÷ 100). 500 with 20% off is 500 × 0.8 = 400.
Is 30% off plus an extra 10% the same as 40% off?
No. The extra 10% comes off the reduced price, so on 1,000 you pay 630, not 600: a total discount of 37%.
How much do I save?
The original price minus the sale price. 500 with 20% off saves 100; 299.99 with 25% off saves 75.00.
How do I find the price before the discount?
Divide the sale price by (1 − discount ÷ 100). 360 after 40% off was 360 ÷ 0.6 = 600.
Does the discount apply before or after VAT?
That depends on the shop, but apart from rounding by a halala or so it makes no difference to the final price: taking 20% off and then adding VAT gives the same total as adding VAT and then taking 20% off. To see the VAT inside a total, use the Saudi VAT calculator.
Why is the sale price rounded?
Money only goes down to halalas or fils, so each step is rounded to 2 decimal places, half up, as at the till.
Do you keep the prices I type in?
No. The discount is worked out on your own device and nothing is sent to us, so it's fine to check a quote you'd rather keep private.