Buy X Get Y Free
Divide the free items by everything you carry home. Dividing by the items you paid for instead is how people end up calling BOGO “100% off”.
Your numbers
Real discount
33.3%
Price each
2,000
Saved
3,000
What it means
Buy-one-get-one is 50% off; two-for-three is 33.3%. This deal is 33.3%.
Formula
Real discount = Free items ÷ (Items paid for + Free items) × 100
If the extra spoils before you use it, the real saving is smaller than the number. Check that you can finish it first.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Items paid forHow many you pay for; the free ones do not go here. | 2 | 1 and up |
| Free itemsHow many come free — one, in a buy-one-get-one. | 1 | 0 and up |
| PriceThe amount being charged. Decide first whether it is before or after tax. | 3,000 | 0 and up |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Items paid for changes and everything else stays put.
| Items paid for | Real discount (%) | Price each | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| 1.5 | 40 | 1,800 | 3,000 |
| 2 | 33.3 | 2,000 | 3,000 |
| 3 | 25 | 2,250 | 3,000 |
| 4 | 20 | 2,400 | 3,000 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Real discount (%)Stacked discounts boiled down to one number — always less than adding them. | 33.3 |
| Price eachWhat one costs, divided across everything you carry home. | 2,000 |
| SavedHow much this deal keeps in your pocket. | 3,000 |
Common mistakes
If the extra spoils before you use it, the real saving is smaller than the number. Check that you can finish it first.
Glossary
- Items paid for
- How many you pay for; the free ones do not go here.
- Free items
- How many come free — one, in a buy-one-get-one.
- Price
- The amount being charged. Decide first whether it is before or after tax.
- Real discount
- Stacked discounts boiled down to one number — always less than adding them.
- Price each
- What one costs, divided across everything you carry home.
- Saved
- How much this deal keeps in your pocket.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Buy X Get Y Free calculated?
Real discount = Free items ÷ (Items paid for + Free items) × 100 — Divide the free items by everything you carry home. Dividing by the items you paid for instead is how people end up calling BOGO “100% off”.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Items paid for 2, Free items 1, Price 3,000, the answer is Real discount 33.3%.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Items paid for, Free items, Price. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Items paid for moves the answer to Items paid for 1 → Real discount (%) 50 and Items paid for 4 → Real discount (%) 20. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
If the extra spoils before you use it, the real saving is smaller than the number. Check that you can finish it first.
Related calculators
Tax rates and interest conventions differ by country and product — check your contract for real transactions.