20% Off: sale price, savings and the reverse calculation
20% off means you pay 80% of the original price. On a $59.99 item the saving is $12.00 and the sale price is $47.99. The table below covers the common price points, and the calculator handles any amount.
Take 20% off any price
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How the discount is calculated
saving = original × 20/100
Sale price = original × (1 − 20/100). For $59.99: $59.99 × 0.8 = $47.99. The saving is the difference, $12.00, or original × 20/100 directly.
20% off common prices
| Original price | Price after 20% off | You save |
|---|---|---|
| $9.99 | $7.99 | $2.00 |
| $19.99 | $15.99 | $4.00 |
| $29.99 | $23.99 | $6.00 |
| $49.99 | $39.99 | $10.00 |
| $79.99 | $63.99 | $16.00 |
| $99.99 | $79.99 | $20.00 |
| $149.99 | $119.99 | $30.00 |
| $199.99 | $159.99 | $40.00 |
| $499.99 | $399.99 | $100.00 |
| $999.99 | $799.99 | $200.00 |
A second discount on top of 20%
A second discount on top of 20% is worth less than it looks. 15% more off takes the price from $47.99 to $40.79, so the total saving on $59.99 is $19.20, 32% of the original, not 35%.
| Discounts applied | Effective discount | Final price on $59.99 | Not |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% then 5% more | 24% | $45.59 | 25% |
| 20% then 10% more | 28% | $43.19 | 30% |
| 20% then 15% more | 32% | $40.79 | 35% |
| 20% then 20% more | 36% | $38.39 | 40% |
| 20% then 25% more | 40% | $35.99 | 45% |
Reverse: from the sale price back to the original
Going backwards: if the sale price is $47.99 after 20% off, the original was $47.99 ÷ 0.8 = $59.99. Dividing by 0.8, not multiplying by 1.20, is the step people get wrong.
Mental math for 20%
Sellers should read this discount against their margin. At 20% off, a line priced at a 60% gross margin still keeps 50% of the sale price; a line at a 30% margin keeps 12.5%, which may be less than its overheads.