Discount impact calculator
See how many extra sales a discount needs before it is worth offering.
Extra sales required
Extra sales
45
More figures
- Profit per sale now
- $15.00
- Profit per sale on discount
- $9.60
- Monthly profit now
- $1,200.00
You need 125 sales, 45 more than now, to make the same $1,200.00 profit.
Estimate from the numbers you enter. Not financial or tax advice.
Next calculation
A discount feels like a sales tactic and acts like a pay cut on every order. Profit per sale falls immediately. Total profit stays the same only if the extra orders replace what each sale gave up.
This calculator compares the profit on a normal month with the profit after the discount, then tells you how many extra sales you need. If the discounted price no longer covers the cost and fees, extra sales make the loss worse.
The extra-sales test
Start from sales you already make, not from a hoped-for launch. The extra-sales number is the increase required to finish the month with the same profit as before. A discount that needs twice the orders is a different business, not a small promotion.
The test ignores the ads you might buy to create those orders. If the extra sales depend on more ad spend, subtract that spend as well or run the batch planner with both numbers in it.
When a discount is still rational
A discount can be worth it when it sells stock you would otherwise write off, or when it brings a second order you can measure. Neither of those shows up as free profit on the first sale. Decide which one you are buying before you change the price.
Frequently asked questions
Does a 20 percent discount need 20 percent more sales?
Usually more. The discount comes off the price, while most of the cost stays the same, so each sale contributes less profit. The extra orders have to replace that lost contribution, not just the lost revenue.
Should I discount to get the first reviews?
Only if you can name the number of orders you are buying and the profit you are giving up. If that trade is acceptable, keep the discount small and dated. An open-ended low price becomes the real price.
What if the extra-sales number is infinite?
The discounted sale does not cover its own cost and fees. No volume fixes a negative contribution. Raise the discounted price or cut the cost.
Can I include a coupon and free shipping together?
Add the shipping you will pay into the cost per sale, and put the coupon in the discount field. Running them separately hides the combined cut.