Trade Discount: Definition, Example, Calculation Accounting, vs Cash Discount

Company ABC manufactures the cloth and sells it to both the whole seller and consumers. The company provides a trade discount of 20% to the wholesaler who purchases more than 1,000 units per order. During January, one wholesaler order 5,000 units of cloth at $5 per unit.

• As none of the parties record this discount anywhere in the books of accounts, the discount amount largely depends on the parties’ mutual understanding and business relations.
• Trade discounts are often granted to wholesalers who buy in high volumes.
• However, here is an example demonstrating how a purchase is accounted in case of trade discount.

This discount occurs before a company calculates the amount payable by the customer. Accounting standards do not require a separate treatment or disclosure on the financial statements for this discount. It differs from a cash discount which companies offer to encourage early settlements. The supplier and customer negotiate the discount rate or amount, eligibility criteria, and specific goods or services covered. The supplier sets a list price, serving as the original selling price.

Definition of Goods Purchased at a Discount

And this net amount (net sales price) is recorded in the books of account. Further, a trade discount is offered in case of both cash sales and credit sales. So, when there are cash sales, it is deducted from the cash memo, whereas in the case of credit sales, the amount of discount is deducted from the sales invoice. Company ABC sells goods for $ 50,000 to the customer on credit. In order to encourage customer payment, the company offers a term payment of 5% 10/Net 30. It will provide 5% cash discount on early payment within 10 days.

This type of discount is usually granted on the list price of the products by the supplier or wholesaler to the retailer for considerations such as buying goods in bulk, trade relations, etc. It is always allowed as certain percentage on sale price i.e., invoice price. The trade discount is not normally recorded in the books of account. In other words, only the net amount of purchase or sale i.e., invoice price minus trade discount is recorded in the journal.

There will be no entry for the amount of discount granted by the manufacturer to a wholesaler in the books of accounts of both parties. The list price is generally present in the catalog of the manufacturer. Moreover, the manufacturer gives this discount usually when the buyer purchases the product in bulk.

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When the customer completes a purchase, the trade discount gets applied, resulting in a reduced selling price. The customer receives an invoice that reflects the discounted price, and payment occurs based on that amount. Even though trade discounts can be recorded in the daily purchase and sales books for bookkeeping needs, there is no separate journal entry made into the general ledger for accounting purposes. Once the discount is charged, the net amount which the customer has to pay is determined.

It is mainly provided to increase the volume of sales attained by a supplier. The total amount the wholesaler will pay the manufacturer is $680,000 after a discount of $120,000 on $800,000. Emilie is a Certified Accountant and Banker with Master’s in Business and 15 years of experience in finance and accounting from large corporates and banks, as well as fast-growing start-ups.

How does a Trade Discount work?

In the books of the buyer, it is recorded as “Purchase Discount” if the periodic inventory method is used of a deduction to inventory when under the periodic method. Suzan bought 100 scarfs, from Kim for Rs. 500 each, subject to Trade Discount @ 15%. This means that an additional 5% cash discount will be allowed to Suzan if she makes payment within at audit and accounting 30 days. It means the company will provide a cash discount of 2% over the invoice amount if the customer pays within 10 days from the invoice date. This step entails adding up all the bits of trade discounts from all the bands provided by the wholesaler/manufacturer. It is a discount allowed at the time of making payments or receipts of cash.

Suppose James purchased goods from Ali of the list price of Rs. 50,000, on July 1, 2021. Ali allowed a 10% discount to James on the list price, for purchasing goods in bulk quantity. Further, a discount of Rs. 2000 was allowed to him, for making the payment within 30 days.

Some suppliers have catalogs with prices before any discounts. Let’s assume that the supplier gives companies that purchase a high volume of goods a trade discount of 30%. If a high volume company purchases $40,000 of goods, its cost will be $28,000 ($40,000 X 70%). To comply with the cost principle the company will debit Purchases (or Inventory) for $28,000 and will credit Accounts Payable for $28,000.

Calculation: Trade vs. Cash Discount

Cash discount will have an impact on journal entries of the company when the customer eligible for the discount. The cash discount will become the expense of the company as it will reduce the accounts receivable previously record. As the business wants to ensure that it can collect the debts owed by its customers, it offers them a cash discount. Because of this, the business incurs a “cost” in order to ensure quick collection, which will result in it collecting less than the full invoiced amount.

The entry shown in the article is for purchase after adjustment. The discount received will then appear on the Income Statement as one of the Other Income items. The discount allowed will then appear on the Income Statement as one of the expense items. Cash discount is an expense for the seller and income for the buyer. It is, therefore, debited in the books of the seller and credited in the books of the buyer. Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has worked as a university accounting instructor, accountant, and consultant for more than 25 years.

The entries that are shown in the sales or purchase books are recorded as the net amount. Product catalogues are typically produced by manufacturers and wholesalers for use by customers and vendors to place orders for their products. The prices listed in catalogues are referred to as list prices or manufacturers’ suggested retail prices, depending on who you ask (MSRP). Other businesses within the industry that make use of the manufacturer’s products rarely pay the list price for them. Instead, the manufacturer offers a discount on each purchase or a percentage of the list price to the wholesaler or retailer. A  trade discount is simply a price reduction off the listed price of goods or services.

It is provided when the purchaser makes timely or early payment for the goods bought. A reduction granted by a supplier of goods/services on list or catalogue price is called a trade discount. This is done due to business consideration such as trade practices, large quantity orders, etc. This type of discount is simply utilised to determine the net amount for a customer. Since the trade discount is deducted before any exchange takes place, it does not have any accounting entry.

This can happen on extreme cases especially when the credit terms are very lenient. Some suppliers offer discounts of 1% or 2% from the sales invoice amount, if the invoice is paid in 10 days instead of the usual 30 days. For instance, let’s assume that a company purchases goods and the supplier’s sales invoice is $28,000 with terms of 1/10, net 30. This means that the company can deduct $280 (1% of $28,000) if it pays the invoice within 10 days. The early payment discount is also referred to as a purchase discount or cash discount. A company offers a 30% trade discount when providing services of $5,000 or more to its customers.

It is generally recorded in the purchases or sales book, but it is not entered into ledger accounts and there is no separate journal entry. However, here is an example demonstrating how a purchase is accounted in case of trade discount. As mentioned in Trade Discount vs. Cash Discount — Part 1 , cash discounts are offered by suppliers to encourage prompt payments/early settlements by customers. From a supplier’s point of view, the quicker he can get his money back, the less likely his customer will default on payment. Trade discounts help incentivize bulk purchases or establish long-term relationships, while cash discounts encourage prompt payment and improve cash flow for the seller.

What are the required properties in a journal entry for cash discounts?

The primary differences between the two come from the following points. X Retailers made the payment on 12 March 2016 and received a cash discount, as promised by the seller. In this written material, we have discussed the differences between trade discount and cash discount. Cash discount is the amount deducted by the seller when the buyer makes payment within the credit term. The seller will deduct the amount of buyer owe if they agree to pay before the specific time. Company A is a manufacturer who does not sell to end-consumers but only to wholesalers, distributors, retailers and other resellers.