At the store
See what a multi-buy costs per item
The band on the shelf
A band that says three for a price is not yet a price per item.
- Calculated from what you enter
- About 2 minutes
- Easy
The short version
- For someone looking at a multi-buy band and a single price.
- It shows the price per item each way.
- It can't see whether you will use every item in the deal.
The moment
The band on the shelf names a count and a total. The single item has its own price. The lower total is not always the lower price per item.
After this, you can say which way costs less per item, using prices you type.
Your guess first
These prices are made up. Which way do you think costs less per item?
Made-up deal
3 for $6
$2.00 per item
Made-up single
$2.25
one item
The turn
The made-up deal is $6 for 3, which is $2.00 per item. The single item is $2.25. The deal costs less per item, by $0.25.
Why the number hides
The band answers what you hand over if you take the whole count. The per-item price answers a different question. The tag is built to show the deal, not to finish the division.
Now run your own numbers
See what a multi-buy costs per item
The answer there is free. Not on sale yet: one optional pass for the whole site, pay what you can, for a dispute letter, a heating-aid checklist, and cancellation scripts.
Do this next
- Read the count and the total on the multi-buy.
- Read the price of one item on its own.
- Enter both in the tool.
- Read the price per item each way.
- Take the deal only if you will use the count.
Who this will not work for
- A price per ounce or per pound. That is a different comparison on this site.
- A coupon taken off one price.
- A guess about food you will throw away.
A pitfall
A deal can cost less per item and still be a poor buy if the extras sit unused. This page does not decide that for you.
How this was calculated
Price per item on the deal = deal total ÷ count. Compare that with the single price.
This is arithmetic on the numbers you type. It doesn't check store prices.