iPad Numbers formula help

[Zera]

I run a business and I want to keep a spreadsheet on my iPad so I have the numbers app. So far I've been really pleased with it. I am used to excel but am by no means an expert in the program so I've noticed numbers is more straight forward and seems easier.

My problem is this - I need to have a formula that will tell me what percentage I'm paying my credit card company each time I swipe a card.
Example.

Cost is $70 CC company charges me 3.5%+ $.15

$70 is in cell C2

my formula is C2 X .035 + .15
OR
C2 X(.035+.15)

Formula C2x(.035+.15) works when I have nothing entered into cell C2 but gives me the answer of 12.95 when I have $70 in C2

Formula C2 x .035+.15 is fine when I have $70 in C2 but shows up as .15 when I have nothing in cell C2.

I have a feeling this is a simple formula that I am screwing up somewhere, somehow. I appreciate any help that is possible.

Thanks!

 

[dougrogers]

Have you tried looking in Apples support discussions for Numbers? If the problem is with your formula, not so much with the iPad.

 

[twerppoet]

You need to use a conditional. You can find the IF command under functions, Categories (tab), Logical and Informational.

= IF C2, C2 X .035 + .15, 0

The first part tests if C2 is true or false. True is any value other than 0. The second part is what happens when C2 is true (not 0). The last part is what happens when C2 is 0. You set the answer to zero, since I'm figuring you own nothing if you spend nothing. Each section is separated by a comma.

Note: A blank cell will also test as false, giving you a zero answer.

 

[Frankmezz]

=IF(C2<>0,+C2*0.035+0.15,0)

I am old school.

 

[Zera]

Thanks! I need it that way to understand how to put it in.
But I am still getting told I have a syntax error.

 

[pbansen]

=C2-((C2*.035)+.15) if you want to know what your net is.

That IS what you want to know, right?

 

[Bimjo]

(C2*.035)+.15 should tell you the bank's share. pbansen's formula will indeed show you your cut.

 

[pbansen]

Here's the answer, finally!

(C2*.035)+.15 should tell you the bank's share. pbansen's formula will indeed show you your cut.

Bimjo's formula shows what you're paying the bank in fees expressed in dollars, but to finally address your original question, if you want to know what you are paying in fees expressed as a percentage, the formula would be

=(((C2*0.035)+0.15)/C2)*100

For $70, the answer would be 3.71%

That only took six months - not bad, eh?

 

[twerppoet]

The formula cells can be formatted to display percentages, so that .371 displays as 3.71%. This is advantageous if you want to do any further calculations with the results, since you will not have to first divide by 100.

All the formulas that do not have a conditional (IF) statement will fail on a zero entry. They either show a false value (.15 or -.15) or will cause an error when dividing by zero.

Of course you can argue, why would you enter a zero amount to begin with? But the OP did ask for a formula that would not fail on zero, at least by implications.

I'm sorry I missed the last post. I did not know that the OP was having trouble entering the formula. Since we haven't seen a response I doubt he/she is around to for further help, and has likely solved the problem already.

 

[giradman]

Thanks! I need it that way to understand how to put it in.
But I am still getting told I have a syntax error.

Well, your formulas are not identical, i.e. the first one is correct, but the second one is really C2X(.035 + .15) which is C2X(.185), hence the reason you are obtaining $12.95 rather that the correct answer of $2.60.

 

[Bimjo]

(C2*.035)+.15 should tell you the bank's share. pbansen's formula will indeed show you your cut.

Bimjo's formula shows what you're paying the bank in fees expressed in dollars, but to finally address your original question, if you want to know what you are paying in fees expressed as a percentage, the formula would be

=(((C2*0.035)+0.15)/C2)*100

For $70, the answer would be 3.71%

That only took six months - not bad, eh?

Ah, good catch, I missed the percentage thing.

 

[pbansen]

The OP may not still be around and has likely long since solved the problem, but someone else doing a search may stumble on this thread an gain some benefit from it, so it's been a worthwhile exercise.

I've been using Excel for a long time and I have to say that I'm far from pleased with the functionality of Numbers on the iPad as an adjunct to it. To say that it's clumsy would be an understatement - just highlighting, copying and pasting values or formulae is an exercise in patience, but I may get to like it better with more practice.

It's nice to have the ability to have a portable spreadsheet viewer on the iPad, but for editing, I keep heading back to the old faithful PC...

 

[twerppoet]

The OP may not still be around and has likely long since solved the problem, but someone else doing a search may stumble on this thread an gain some benefit from it, so it's been a worthwhile exercise.

True enough. Sorry if I seemed to imply otherwise. Just wanted to make sure no one was going to hold their breath waiting for the OP to come back. Not that they are not welcome back.