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What is a purchase discount?

Author:
Harold Averkamp, CPA, MBA

Definition of Purchase Discount

A purchase discount is a deduction that a company may receive if the supplier offers it and the company pays the supplier’s invoice within a specified period of time. The purchase discount is also known as a cash discount or early-payment discount. (A supplier offering the discount will record the discounts taken by its customers in the account Sales Discounts.)

Purchase Discounts is also a general ledger account used by a company purchasing inventory goods and accounting for them under the periodic inventory system.

Example of Purchase Discount

Assume that a company receives a supplier’s invoice of $5,000 with the credit terms 2/10 net 30. The company will be allowed to subtract a purchase discount of $100 (2% of $5,000) and remit $4,900 if the invoice is paid in 10 days. Otherwise, the company must pay the full $5,000 within 30 days.

If a company purchases office equipment for $20,000 and the invoice has credit terms of 1/10, net 30, the company can deduct $200 (1% of $20,000) and remit $19,800 if the invoice is paid within 10 days. If that occurs, the company will record the equipment at its cost of $19,800.

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About the Author

Harold Averkamp

For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has worked as an accounting supervisor, manager, consultant, university instructor, and innovator in teaching accounting online. He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com.

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