Work out a percentage of a percentage in one step. Enter two percentages to see the combined result as both a percentage and a decimal, and add a dollar amount to see the value applied. This is handy for stacked discounts, commissions on a margin, and any time one percentage is taken of another. The shortcut is to multiply the two percentages and divide by 100, which this calculator does instantly.
Tip: this is the same as multiplying the two percentages and dividing by 100.
Taking a percentage of a percentage means applying the second percentage to the result of the first, rather than adding the two together. The quickest way is to multiply the two percentages and divide by 100.
For example, to find 20% of 50%:
So 20% of 50% is 10%. The shortcut is 20 times 50, divided by 100, which also gives 10.
A store advertises 20% off, then takes a further 10% off at the till. Shoppers often assume that is 30% off, but it is not.
The first discount leaves 80% of the price. The second discount takes 10% off that 80%, which is 10% of 80% equals 8%. So the price drops by another 8 percentage points, leaving 72% of the original. On a $250 jacket you pay $180, a total discount of 28%, not 30%.
Result: 72% of the original price, a 28% total discount.
A salesperson earns 15% commission, but only on the 40% gross margin of each sale rather than the full sale price. To see what share of the sale price the commission represents, work out 15% of 40%.
15% of 40% is 6%. On a $2,000 sale, the commission is 6% of $2,000, which is $120.
Result: the commission is 6% of the sale price.
You set aside 30% of your pay for savings, and you want to put 25% of that savings into a separate term deposit. How much of your total pay goes to the term deposit?
25% of 30% is 7.5%. If you earn $1,200 a week, that is 7.5% of $1,200, which is $90 a week.
Result: 7.5% of your pay goes to the term deposit.
Combined percentage equals (first percentage times second percentage) divided by 100. To apply it to an amount, multiply the amount by the first percentage as a decimal, then by the second percentage as a decimal.
It is the result of taking one percentage of another. For example, 20% of 50% means 20% of one half, which is 10%. You work it out by multiplying the two percentages together and dividing by 100.
No. A 20% discount leaves 80% of the price, and a further 10% off leaves 90% of that. You pay 0.80 times 0.90, which is 72% of the original price, a 28% total discount.
Work out the combined percentage first, then apply it to the amount. For 20% of 50% of $400, the combined percentage is 10%, and 10% of $400 is $40. Enter an amount above and the calculator does both steps.
Adding only works when both percentages apply to the same base. A percentage of a percentage applies the second percentage to the result of the first, so the values multiply. This is why stacked discounts and commissions on margins always need multiplication.
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