Belk ran a coupon for 15% off an item priced at $48.50. What amount will the customer pay after the discount?

To determine the amount the customer will pay after the discount, it's important to calculate the discount first and then subtract that amount from the original price.

First, calculate the discount on the item priced at $48.50. The discount is 15% of $48.50. To find this, you multiply the price by the discount percentage:

[ 0.15 \times 48.50 = 7.275 ]

Rounding this to two decimal places, the discount is approximately $7.28.

Now, subtract the discount from the original price:

[ 48.50 - 7.28 = 41.22 ]

Thus, after applying the 15% discount, the customer will pay $41.22 for the item. This confirms that the choice reflecting the total amount the customer will pay, after the discount, is the correct answer.