Rounding numbers to two decimal places is a common requirement when handling financial data or displaying prices. PHP offers two main functions for achieving this: number_format() and round(). Here's how you can use them effectively.

✅ Using number_format() (Recommended for Display)

$number = 12.34567;
$rounded = number_format($number, 2);
echo $rounded; // Output: 12.35

• number_format($number, 2) formats the number to two decimal places and returns a string.

✅ Using round() (For Mathematical Calculations)

$number = 12.34567;
$rounded = round($number, 2);
echo $rounded; // Output: 12.35

• round($number, 2) rounds the number to two decimal places and returns a float.

Key Differences

✅ Conclusion

When precision in calculations is essential, use round(). For displaying formatted numbers with two decimal places, number_format() is the ideal choice. By understanding these functions, you can handle PHP rounding effectively in different contexts.