Recipient Mobile Number: What It Means When You Send Flowers

The recipient mobile number is the mobile phone of the person who will receive the flowers, not your own. The courier uses it to reach that person shortly before arrival, check they are at home and agree where to hand the bouquet over. It is a working detail of the delivery, so it should be a number the recipient actually answers on the delivery day.

The field causes more hesitation than any other line in an order form. Senders worry about spoiling a surprise, are not sure whether a landline will do, or have an old number from years ago. Below we explain, as florists who send bouquets every day, what the courier does with the number, which format works for Russia, and what to do when you do not have a reliable mobile for the person you are surprising.

Why the form asks for a mobile, not just any phone

A courier is on the move. Between the shop and the door they may need to confirm the entrance, ask for a gate code or find out which building in a large residential complex is the right one. A mobile number lets them do this from the street in a few seconds. A home landline only works if someone is standing next to it, and an office switchboard often puts the call on hold, which is exactly what you do not want when the bouquet is already outside.

With us the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. That short call is what turns an address into a successful handover: the recipient has time to come down, unlock the door or tell the courier which concierge desk to use. Without a working mobile, the courier has only the address and the intercom, and many Russian apartment buildings have intercoms that do not show the flat number clearly.

So when a form says recipient mobile number, read it as the number the courier will call on the day. It is not used for marketing, and it does not need to be the number the person has had for ten years. It needs to ring in their pocket at the time the flowers arrive.

How to write a Russian mobile number correctly

Russian mobile numbers have ten digits after the country code, and the first of those digits is almost always 9. In international format that looks like +7 9XX XXX-XX-XX. Inside Russia people often write the same number starting with 8 instead of +7: 8 9XX XXX-XX-XX. Both point to the same phone. If a relative dictates the number to you with an 8 at the start, simply replace the 8 with +7.

Common mistakes we see in orders from abroad are an extra 0 after the country code, the country code written twice (+7 7 9...), or a number with only nine digits after +7 because one digit was lost while copying from a messenger. Count the digits before you submit: +7 plus ten digits. Our separate guide on entering a Russian mobile number in the order form walks through these cases with examples.

If the recipient lives abroad and only travels to Russia, ask which number they use while they are there. Many people keep a Russian SIM for visits and switch it off the rest of the year, so the number you have saved may be silent on the delivery day.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white French roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red French roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Will the call spoil the surprise?

This is the question we hear most often, and the answer is usually no. Delivery with us is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. The call sounds like a normal delivery call: a courier with flowers is nearby and wants to check the address and whether someone is at home. Many recipients guess who sent the bouquet, of course, but they learn it from the card, not from the courier.

If you want your name to appear, write it on the card. A card with your text is free, and it is the right place for both the message and the signature. If you want the gift to stay a mystery, leave the card unsigned or sign it with a hint only the recipient will understand, such as a nickname or a shared joke.

Some senders worry that a call from an unknown number will be ignored. In that case, a gentle hint in advance helps: tell the recipient to expect a delivery on a certain day without saying what it is. People in Russia are used to calls from couriers, so a short message like 'please answer unknown numbers on Friday, something is coming' rarely gives the game away.

What happens if nobody answers

Phones get switched off, people are in a meeting, a lift has no signal. If the recipient is not there when the courier arrives, we agree a second delivery the same day or hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge, but only with the sender's consent. That is why we also ask for your own contact details: the courier or manager may need a quick decision from you.

The statuses you may see in such a situation are explained in our article on recipient unavailable meaning. In short, unavailable does not mean the flowers are lost. It means the handover has not happened yet and the next step is being agreed.

To reduce the chance of a missed delivery, choose a time when you know the recipient is at home. In large cities you can book an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes) or a time window: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. For a birthday, the morning window often works best: people are still at home and the flowers have the whole day to be admired.

When you only have a landline or no number at all

A landline is better than nothing, especially for older relatives who rarely carry a mobile. Write it in the field and add a note that it is a home phone, so the courier knows to call before setting out rather than from the street. If a neighbour or a family member who lives nearby can take the call instead, their mobile is often the more practical choice. Mention in the comment whose number it is.

If you have no number at all, do not invent one and do not put your own number in the recipient field without saying so. A courier who calls you abroad while standing at a door in Russia loses time, and the bouquet waits on the landing. Instead, message our manager on WhatsApp before ordering. Together we can agree the time, the address details (entrance, floor, intercom code) and the card text, and decide whether the delivery can work with the information you have.

Through the same chat you can ask for a photo of the bouquet before delivery. Many senders abroad find this reassuring: you see exactly what will arrive, and you can relax about the rest.

A short checklist before you press Pay

Recipient name as the person is known at the door: first name is enough for a flat, full name is better for an office or a hospital reception. Mobile number in the +7 9XX XXX-XX-XX format, checked digit by digit. Address with entrance number, floor, flat and intercom code if you know them. Your own phone or messenger, so we can reach you if something needs a decision. Card text and signature, or a deliberate choice to stay anonymous.

Delivery within a city costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. Payment is online on the site: bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Express delivery in large cities takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, and you can also pre-order 1-30 days ahead, which is the calm option for birthdays and anniversaries. The full conditions are on the Delivery and payment page.

A correct mobile number is a small detail, but it is the detail that decides whether the bouquet goes into someone's hands or waits at a closed door. Take one minute to check it, and the rest of the delivery takes care of itself.