How to Find the Original Price Before a Percentage Discount

Quick answer: If you know the discounted price and the discount rate, divide by the proportion that remains after the discount.

Try it: Open the free BuzBolt Percentage Calculator. No signup is required.

Understand the method

For discount rate d as a decimal, original price = sale price ÷ (1 − d). This is valid for ordinary discounts below 100%.

A common trap is adding the discount percentage to the sale price. The discount was calculated on the original price, so reversing it requires division.

Worked example

A jacket priced at $80 after a 20% discount had an original price of $100, because $80 ÷ 0.80 = $100.

What people often get wrong

Adding 20% of $80 yields $96, not the original $100.

A practical way to use this

Use the agreed original price when comparing offers; marketing price claims may need separate verification.

Frequently asked question

Can you reverse a 100% discount from the final price? Not from the zero sale price alone.

Recover the original value from a discounted price

If a price after a 20% discount is $80, that $80 represents 80% of the original. Divide 80 by 0.80 to recover $100. Adding 20% to $80 gives only $96 and is not the inverse operation.

Apply it to your own task

This method requires the discount rate and assumes no other adjustment is included in the final price. It is not enough to infer an original price when taxes, shipping or other charges are mixed into the total.