Free Delivery Flowers: What 'Free' Means and What to Look For

Truly free flower delivery is rare: in most cases the courier's cost is simply built into the bouquet price, so 'free' tells you how the price is shown, not that the trip costs nothing. What matters is the total you pay and what you get for it - a fresh bouquet, delivery at the right time and a courier who handles the handover properly. At Turboflora we show delivery openly: within a Russian city it costs 500 RUB, and the card with your message is free.

In this article I will explain how florists price delivery, where 'free delivery' offers can cost you more, which parts of an order are genuinely worth paying for, and how to keep the total sensible when you send flowers to someone in Russia from abroad.

How flower delivery is actually priced

Every delivered bouquet has the same costs behind it: the flowers, the florist's work, packaging that keeps the stems in water on the way, and a courier who drives across the city and waits at the door. A company can show these as one number or split them into 'bouquet' and 'delivery'. When delivery is advertised as free, its cost has usually moved into the bouquet price, or a minimum order sum has been set so that small orders do not qualify.

Neither approach is dishonest as long as you see the full price before paying. The trouble starts when the free part only applies to some districts, some hours or some bouquets, and you find this out at the last step. Before you choose by the word 'free', compare the final amount for the same size of bouquet delivered to the same address at the same time.

We prefer to keep it simple. Delivery within a city costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, so you know it before the bouquet leaves. The full conditions are on the Delivery and payment page.

What you get for the delivery fee

A delivery fee buys timing first of all. In large cities we can deliver within 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, at an exact time give or take 30 minutes, or in a time window: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. You can also pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead, which is handy when you are abroad and want the flowers to arrive on the morning of a birthday no matter what your own day looks like.

It also buys a careful handover. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so nobody is surprised at the door and the flowers do not wait on the landing. If the recipient is out, we agree a second delivery the same day or leave the bouquet with a neighbour or concierge - only with your consent.

And it buys discretion. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. The card carries exactly the words you wrote, and that card costs nothing extra.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Where 'free delivery' can cost you more

The most expensive delivery is the one that fails. A bouquet left outside a closed door in January, or handed to the wrong flat, costs you the whole order and the moment you wanted to create. When comparing offers, ask what happens if the recipient does not answer the phone, and whether you will be told about it.

Watch the timing too. Free delivery often means 'some time during the day'. That is fine for a weekday surprise at home, but not for a birthday breakfast or a bouquet that should arrive before the guests. If the time matters, a defined window or an exact time is worth more than a free slot that may land in the evening.

Finally, check the bouquet itself. When delivery is included, part of the bouquet budget goes to the courier. You can end up with fewer stems or simpler flowers than the photo suggests. Asking for a photo of the bouquet before delivery is the easiest protection: our manager can send one on WhatsApp.

Choosing a bouquet that is worth delivering

If you are paying for a courier, send flowers that will still look good in a week. Roses, chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, carnations and eustoma are reliable: they tolerate a car ride, open gradually and forgive a recipient who forgets to change the water once. Peonies and ranunculus are spectacular but short-lived, so save them for someone who loves fussing over flowers.

Think about size in terms of the recipient's home. A tall arrangement looks grand in a photo but may not fit any vase in a small flat. A medium hand-tied bouquet or a box arrangement that already sits in floral foam is often the more thoughtful choice, especially for older relatives.

In Russia, count the stems: gift bouquets traditionally have an odd number, such as 5, 7, 11 or 15, because even numbers are associated with funerals. Very large bouquets are an exception, as nobody counts them. If you are unsure about colours, soft pinks, whites and mixed seasonal shades suit almost any occasion, while deep red roses are best kept for a partner.

How to keep the total sensible

Choose seasonal flowers. Tulips in spring, peonies in early summer, asters and chrysanthemums in autumn usually give you more volume for the same budget than out-of-season varieties. A compact bouquet of fresh seasonal stems often looks better than a large one padded with greenery.

Pick a time window instead of an exact time if the hour is not critical. Order in advance before holidays like March 8 and February 14, when couriers are busiest and the most popular bouquets sell out first. And give a complete address with entrance, floor and door code, plus a phone number the recipient will answer: a smooth first attempt is what keeps a delivery simple.

Remember that the card is free. A few warm sentences in it add more to the gift than an extra row of roses, especially when you are far away and cannot hand the flowers over yourself.

Ordering flowers to Russia from abroad

Choose a bouquet in the bouquets catalogue, enter the recipient's address and the text for the card, and pick the delivery time. Payment is online on the site: bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. If anything is unclear - a tricky address, an unusual time or a card in Russian - write to the manager on WhatsApp, and they will help you agree the details.

Keep the recipient's local time in mind. Russia spans many time zones, so check what time it will be in their city when you choose the window. For a morning surprise, a pre-order the day before is the calmest option.

Once the flowers arrive, a little care makes them last. Trim the stems by 1-2 cm at an angle, use clean cool water, remove leaves below the waterline and change the water every day or two. Keep the vase away from radiators and fruit, and most bouquets will stay fresh for about a week.