Is buy 2 get 1 free really the same as 33% off?
Nearly, as long as all three items cost the same and the customer takes all three: they pay for two out of three, which is 33.33% off the total. 'Second item half price' is 25% off the pair. When the prices differ, the real rate is lower.
Why 33.33% and not 50%
The free item feels like '100% off one item', but the honest rate is measured against everything in the basket. Three items at 50 total 150, the customer pays 100, so the saving is 50 out of 150, one third.
Three items × 50 = 150 before the offer.
In the calculator: price 150 with 33.3333% off gives a final price of 100 and a saving of 50.
Type only 33.33 and the calculator gives 100.01, because the rate is rounded. Use more decimals when the rate is a recurring fraction.
Second item half price
Two items at 100 total 200. The customer pays 100 for the first and 50 for the second, 150 in all. Enter 200 and 25 in the Discount calculator and you get 150 and a saving of 50. It sounds like 'half price', but it is a quarter of the basket.
When the items cost different amounts
Most stores make the cheapest item the free one, and the real rate drops sharply. Example: items at 80, 50 and 30 total 160, the 30 item is free, and the customer pays 130.
The saving is 30 out of 160, so 30 ÷ 160 × 100 = 18.75%.
Check it in the calculator: price 160 with 18.75% off gives exactly 130.
That figure matters to you as a seller when you weigh the offer against a straight discount: three for two on a mixed basket can cost you far less than 33% off everything.
When it is not a discount at all
- If the customer only needs one or two items, the offer saves them nothing. Two items at 50 cost 100 with or without it.
- The third item is worth less to the buyer if it expires before they get round to using it.
- To weigh a multibuy against a bigger pack in another store, compare the unit price with the Unit-price comparison.
As a seller, put the bundle's final price and the cost of all three items into the Profit margin calculator to see the offer's real margin, not the margin of a single item.
Common questions
How do I turn any multibuy into a percentage?
Divide the number of free items by the total number of items. Four for three is one free item out of four, 25%, and only when the prices are equal.
Does the calculator handle the multibuy directly?
No, it works with percentage discounts. Convert the offer to a rate as in the examples, then enter it with the basket total.