Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.

They can occur anywhere in the distribution channel, modifying either the manufacturer’s list price (determined by the manufacturer and often printed on the package), the retail price (set by the retailer and often attached to the product with a sticker), or the list price (which is quoted to a potential buyer, usually in written form).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discounts_and_allowances