Recipient Phone Number: What It Means and Why the Order Form Needs It
The recipient phone number is the mobile number of the person who will receive the delivery, not your own. The courier uses it to check that someone is at the address, agree a convenient moment and find the right door, so a correct number is often the difference between a bouquet handed over in perfect shape and one that travels around the city twice.
When you send flowers from abroad, this one field carries more weight than it seems. You are not there to open the door or answer the intercom, so the recipient's phone becomes the only live link between the courier and the person you want to surprise. Below we explain what the field means, how to fill it in for a Russian number, and how to keep the surprise intact while still giving the courier what they need.
What "recipient phone number" means on a delivery form
Every delivery form has two contact blocks: the sender (you, the person paying) and the recipient (the person getting the flowers). The sender's phone and email are used for confirmations and questions about the order. The recipient's phone is used on the day itself, by the courier, to reach the person who has to physically take the bouquet.
It is easy to mix them up, especially when the form is in a second language or autofill drops your own number into both boxes. If your number ends up in the recipient field, the courier will ring you in another time zone while standing at a closed door. Before paying, read both blocks once more and make sure the recipient field holds their mobile, not yours.
A landline is rarely helpful. Couriers call from the road, often a few minutes before arrival, and a home phone that nobody picks up during working hours gives them nothing to work with. A mobile number that the recipient actually carries is what the field is really asking for.
Why the courier needs to call
Flowers are a perishable gift, and a bouquet cannot be left on a doormat like a parcel. With us the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. That short call confirms that someone is at home or at the office, and it gives the recipient a moment to come down, open the gate or tell the courier which entrance to use.
In Russian cities this matters more than people abroad expect. Large residential blocks have several entrances, coded intercoms and courtyards with barriers, and office centres often have a reception that will not let a courier through without a name. A quick phone call solves all of this in half a minute, while an address alone can leave the courier walking around the building.
If the recipient is not there, the number lets us sort it out calmly. We agree a second delivery the same day, or, with your consent as the sender, hand the flowers to a neighbour or a concierge. Without a working number none of these options is possible, which is why the field is required rather than optional.
Bouquets we can deliver
How to write a Russian mobile number correctly
Russian mobile numbers have eleven digits in the domestic format and start with 8 9 or, in international format, +7 9. So the same phone can appear as 8 921 123-45-67 or +7 921 123-45-67. Both describe one number; the 8 at the start is simply the domestic prefix that replaces +7.
The most common mistakes we see are a doubled prefix (+7 8 921...), a missing digit after copying from a messenger, and a foreign country code left over from the sender's own phone. Count the digits after +7: there should be exactly ten, and for a mobile the first of them is almost always 9. Our guide to entering a Russian mobile number in the order form walks through these cases one by one.
If you only have the number saved in a messenger, open the contact card and copy it from there rather than retyping it from memory. And if the recipient has recently changed numbers, it is worth asking a relative quietly. One wrong digit is enough for the courier to reach a stranger.
Keeping the surprise when the courier has to call
Many senders worry that a phone call will spoil the surprise. In practice it rarely does. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender, and the call is short and neutral, something like "I have a delivery for you, will you be at home in fifteen minutes?" The recipient learns that something is coming, but not what it is or who sent it.
The card does the rest. A card with your text is free, and that is where you reveal yourself, or not. Some senders sign with a full name, some with a nickname only the recipient will recognise, and some leave the card unsigned for a little mystery. Our article on what happens when the recipient is not home covers the next step if the call goes unanswered.
If the recipient is someone who does not answer unknown numbers, such as an elderly parent or a busy colleague, it can help to warn them vaguely: "Pick up calls this afternoon, a delivery might come." That keeps the content a secret while making sure the courier gets through.
When you do not know the recipient's number
Sometimes you simply do not have it: a teacher, a doctor, a colleague of a friend, a host you met once. In that case think about who can take the call on the recipient's behalf. For an office it may be the reception desk or a colleague who will be there; for a family home it may be a spouse or grown-up child who can keep the secret.
Write that person's mobile in the recipient field and mention in the order comment whose number it is, for example "number of her daughter, Anna". The courier then knows who to ask for and will not be confused when a different voice answers. This small note saves a lot of back-and-forth on the day.
What we do not recommend is leaving the field with a made-up or incomplete number in the hope that the address will be enough. A courier cannot ring every flat in a building, and a bouquet waiting in a car on a warm day loses freshness quickly.
Sending flowers to Russia with us: the practical side
Once the recipient's phone is right, the rest is simple. You choose a bouquet in the catalogue, enter the address, the recipient's name and number, and your card text. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. You pay online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay.
For timing you have several options. In large cities express delivery arrives 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also pick an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), one of the time windows 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead, which is handy for birthdays and anniversaries when the date is fixed.
If anything is unclear, whose number to give, how to phrase the card, or which time window suits a recipient who works shifts, write to a manager on WhatsApp. They will help agree the time, address and card text and can send a photo of the bouquet before delivery, so you see exactly what will arrive at the door. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is the recipient phone number the same as my phone number?
No. The recipient number belongs to the person receiving the flowers, and the courier calls it on the day of delivery. Your own number goes in the sender block and is used for order confirmation.
Will the courier tell the recipient who sent the flowers?
No. Delivery is anonymous by default, so the courier does not name the sender. Only the card text, which is free, says who the bouquet is from, if you choose to sign it.
What if the recipient does not answer the call?
We agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent as the sender, hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge. That is why a working mobile number is so important.
How do I write a Russian mobile number?
Use +7 followed by ten digits, usually starting with 9, for example +7 921 123-45-67. The domestic form 8 921 123-45-67 is the same number; do not combine +7 and 8.
Can I give someone else's number instead of the recipient's?
Yes, if that person will be with the recipient or can receive the bouquet for them, such as a receptionist or family member. Add a note in the order comment saying whose number it is.
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