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How to tell if an Indian sale discount is real
A big percentage tells you about the price it's compared to, not about the price you're paying. In India the struck-through number is often a list price nobody has ever charged. Here's how to tell the difference quickly.
Last updated 2026-11-12
The percentage is the least useful number on the page
Discount percentage is calculated against the MRP, and the seller sets the MRP. A ₹4,000 kurti at 80% off and a ₹1,200 kurti at 35% off both cost ₹800. The only number that matters is the one you pay. Train yourself to read the rupee figure first and treat the percentage as decoration.
Check one: is the MRP plausible?
Ask whether anyone would have paid the struck-through price for this item. A plain cotton kurti with an MRP of ₹5,999 from a label you've never heard of is a tell. Established brands tend to have believable MRPs; unbranded marketplace listings are where inflation is most common.
Check two: compare across two stores
Open the same kind of item on a second store. If a comparable kurti sits at ₹700 everywhere, then ₹800 'reduced from ₹4,000' is simply the market price wearing a costume. This takes under a minute and is the single most reliable check.
Check three: look at the price, not the badge, during sale events
During big sales many items get a new, higher MRP a few days before the discount appears. The honest way to use sale events is to decide what you want beforehand, note today's price, and compare when the sale starts.
When a big discount is genuine
End-of-season clearance on real brands, last-few-sizes listings, and older models of electronics are usually genuine, because the seller wants the stock gone. The pattern to trust is a known brand, a specific reason for the markdown, and a price that's actually lower than elsewhere.
What we do on this site
Prices here are a snapshot with the date they were checked, and after two weeks the site stops showing the number rather than show you a stale one. We show the percentage because it's useful for sorting, but the rupee price and the date are the honest parts.
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Common questions
Are 80% off sales in India real?
Usually the percentage is calculated against an inflated MRP. Compare the actual rupee price against the same kind of item on another store — that tells you whether it's a real deal.
Do Indian sites raise prices before a sale?
It happens. Note the price of what you want a few days before a sale event starts, then compare when it begins.
What is a genuinely good discount?
End-of-season clearance from a known brand, last-remaining sizes, or an older electronics model. A real markdown usually has a reason behind it.