Successive Discounts
Calculator
Results
- Final price
- 67.2
- Price after first discount
- 84
- Amount saved
- 52.8
- Effective discount (%)
- 44
Household and budget results
| Final price | 67.2 |
| Price after first discount | 84 |
| Amount saved | 52.8 |
| Effective discount (%) | 44 |
formula-map diagram
- Final price
- 67.2
- Price after first discount
- 84
- Amount saved
- 52.8
- Effective discount (%)
- 44
Cost breakdown
Formula
final price = list price × (1 − d₁ ÷ 100) × (1 − d₂ ÷ 100)= 67.2
Note
This is a simplified model. It applies the stated arithmetic to the figures you enter and ignores inflation, taxes, seasonal variation, interest and any local rules. Use it as a rough guide, not as financial advice.
More in Household and budget
See all →Frequently asked questions
Why can't I just add two discount percentages together?+
Because each discount is applied to a progressively smaller amount, not the original price, so a 20% discount followed by a 10% discount results in a combined discount of 28%, not 30%.
Does the order of the discounts change the final price?+
No — mathematically, multiplying by (1 − 0.20) and then (1 − 0.10) gives the same result as the reverse order, since multiplication is commutative, so a 20%-then-10% stack equals a 10%-then-20% stack.
How do stores use this to make a discount look bigger than it is?+
Advertising "20% off, plus an extra 10% off" sounds like 30% off, but the true combined discount is 28%, so retailers benefit from listing discounts separately rather than as one combined percentage.
Can I combine more than two discounts?+
Yes, the same multiplicative logic extends to any number of successive discounts — multiply the original price by (1 − rate) for each discount in sequence — though each additional discount adds progressively less in absolute terms.
How do I find the single equivalent discount for a stack of successive ones?+
Multiply all the (1 − rate) factors together, then subtract the result from 1 and convert to a percentage; this single-equivalent figure is the true discount rate you're getting, useful for comparing against a competing single-discount offer.