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Skonto calculator: worth taking?

Calculate savings, payment amount and effective annual interest rate in seconds — and know immediately whether to take the early payment discount.

Skonto is almost always a win: a 2% discount for paying within 10 instead of 30 days equals an effective annual interest rate of roughly 36.7% — far more than an overdraft costs. It usually even pays off to finance the discounted payment with credit.

Invoice amount (€)Discount (%)Discount period (days)Payment term (days)

Effective annual rate per the standard commercial formula with 360 interest days. No warranty.

The Skonto formula

The effective annual rate shows what the earlier payment yields as an “investment”: you give up liquidity for a few days and receive the discount in return.

Effective annual rate = discount ÷ (100 − discount) × 360 ÷ (payment term − discount period) × 100

Example: €10,000 invoice, 2% discount for payment in 10 days, 30-day payment term. Savings: €200. Effective annual rate: 2 ÷ 98 × 360 ÷ 20 × 100 ≈ 36.7%. For comparison: an overdraft typically costs 10–13% per year — taking the discount yields more than three times what the credit costs.

Frequently asked questions about Skonto

What is Skonto?

A German early-payment discount: the supplier grants e.g. 2% off if you pay within the discount period (often 10 days) instead of the regular payment term (often 30 days). 2–3% is customary.

How do I calculate Skonto?

Savings = invoice amount × discount rate. On €10,000 at 2% that's €200 — you transfer €9,800. Whether it's worth it is shown by the effective annual rate: discount ÷ (100 − discount) × 360 ÷ (payment term − discount period) × 100.

Is taking the discount really always worth it?

Almost always. Even 2% for paying 20 days earlier equals ~36.7% annualized — a multiple of what your money earns in an account or what credit costs. Only with a very small discount or a very large gap between discount period and payment term can the picture change.

Should I take the discount even if I need my credit line for it?

Usually yes: an overdraft typically costs 10–13% per year while the discount often yields over 30% effectively. As long as the effective Skonto rate exceeds your credit rate, financing the discounted payment is profitable.

Should I offer Skonto myself?

Skonto is an effective remedy against late payment: customers measurably pay faster, you improve liquidity and save dunning effort. But price it in — a 2% discount is 2% margin.

Payment terms & Skonto right in the invoice

With cashwerk you set payment terms and early-payment discounts directly in quotes and invoices — including GoBD-compliant numbering, e-invoicing and automatic payment reconciliation.