Wire orders explained: how florist relay networks work

Every florist eventually takes a call like this: “My mother lives three states away. Can you get roses to her on Friday?” You can, but not with your own van. That is where wire orders come in. This guide explains how wire orders and relay networks work in plain terms, where the money goes, why so many florists feel squeezed by them, and how to keep them from quietly eating your margin.

What is a wire order and how does it work?

A wire order is a single customer order handled by two shops. The sending florist takes the order and payment, then passes it through a relay network or directly to a filling florist near the recipient. The filling florist designs and delivers the arrangement and receives part of the order value.

The name is historical. Florists began sharing orders over telegraph wires in the early twentieth century, and the networks that grew out of that are still the backbone of out-of-town flower delivery. The technology has changed. The basic deal has not.

The path of a typical wire order

1. The customer orders from a local shop, a website or a call center, and pays.
2. The sender transmits the order through a network, with the product, recipient, delivery date and card message.
3. The network routes it to a member florist in the recipient’s area, taking a share of the value.
4. The filling florist accepts or declines. If accepted, it designs and delivers the piece.
5. Settlement happens later. The network pays the filling florist, usually on a monthly statement, after its fees.

Both shops carry risk. The sender is trusting a shop they may never have met with their customer’s experience. The filler is trusting that the order details and money are right.

Who are the sending florist and the filling florist?

The sending florist is the shop that takes the customer’s order and money. The filling florist is the shop that makes and delivers it. Most independent florists are both: they send orders out for distant recipients and fill orders that come in from other shops or websites for local recipients.

The two roles have very different economics.

When the filling florist’s share is too small to cover a real arrangement and a real delivery, something has to give: either the design, or the shop’s margin.

Where do wire network fees come from?

Network fees come from membership or subscription charges, per-order transmission or clearinghouse fees, a commission on the order value, and sometimes charges for directory listings, technology or card processing. The exact mix varies by network and contract, so the only reliable figure is the one on your own statement.

Florists frequently say on trade forums that the combined deductions can take a significant share of the order, but percentages vary widely and we will not quote one here. The useful thing is to calculate your own.

How to work out what a wire order really pays you

1. Pull last month’s network statement.
2. List every incoming order with the value the customer paid, if shown, and the amount credited to you.
3. Subtract every fee on the statement that relates to receiving orders: commissions, transmission fees, monthly membership charges divided across the orders.
4. Subtract your real cost to fill each order: stems, hardgoods, design time and delivery.
5. Look at what is left. That is the true margin on wire work, and it is often a surprise.

These numbers are only an illustration. The point is the method: once you lay out every cost, you can see whether a given kind of wire order is worth filling.

What are order gatherers and how do they affect florists?

Order gatherers are websites or call centers that take flower orders while presenting themselves as local florists, then pass the orders to real shops to fill. They often keep a large part of the price and send the filling shop a much smaller amount. Florists dislike them because the customer blames the local shop for the result.

Common signs that an incoming order came from a gatherer:

• The order value is low for the product described.
• The product description promises a specific photo that cannot be made for that amount.
• The order arrives through a channel you do not recognize, or the “sender” is a large website rather than a shop.
• Delivery instructions are unrealistic, such as same-day service on an order received in the late afternoon.

What you can do about it

• Set a minimum value for incoming orders and decline below it.
• Answer complaints honestly. If a recipient calls, explain politely that you filled the order for another company and give them the value you received if appropriate.
• Encourage direct orders. Recipients who liked the flowers may call you next time. A card or sticker with your shop name on every delivery helps.

How can a florist protect margin on wire orders?

Protect your margin by setting a minimum value for incoming orders, filling “florist’s choice” designs that use stock you already have, pricing outgoing orders with a clear service fee, and keeping wire work in a separate queue so you can see exactly what it earns. Decide these rules once rather than order by order.

For incoming orders (filling)

1. Know your minimum. Work out the smallest order you can fill and deliver without losing money in each zone. Decline below it.
2. Substitute sensibly. Most network orders allow reasonable substitution of stems and colors. Use what is fresh in your cooler rather than buying specially.
3. Watch delivery zones. An order that pays enough for a nearby address may not for a far one. Many shops add or require a delivery charge for outer zones.
4. Batch wire orders with retail routes. A wire delivery on a street where your van is already going costs much less.
5. Review monthly. Look at the total credited, the fees and the costs. If wire work is a loss, reduce your membership tier or the number of networks.

For outgoing orders (sending)

1. Add a service or relay fee. It covers your time on the phone and the cost of sending.
2. Set customer expectations. Explain that a partner shop near the recipient will design the arrangement and that it may vary.
3. Choose fillers you trust. Where you can, send to shops you have worked with before, directly or through a network.
4. Record the details. Keep the filling shop’s name, the order number and the confirmation so you can follow up if something goes wrong.

Why keep wire orders in a separate queue?

A separate wire queue keeps network orders apart from walk-in, phone and web sales, so they cannot be confused with retail orders, missed in the rush, or blended into retail figures. It also lets you see wire volume and income on its own, which is the only way to judge whether the networks are worth what you pay them.

When wire orders sit in the same list as everything else, three problems appear. First, they look like full-price retail sales, so your average order value looks better than it is. Second, their different rules (substitution policy, network order numbers, sender details) get lost. Third, at peak times they are easy to overlook because they did not come from a customer standing at your counter.

GetFloristPOS keeps wire orders in their own queue, separate from your counter and web sales, with the network’s order reference, sender details, card message, delivery date and slot on each one. Once a wire order is accepted, it books into a delivery slot like any other order, so the van sheet stays complete.

Connecting a network

Relay networks connect to GetFloristPOS by integration through its API connector. GetFloristPOS is not a partner of FTD, Teleflora, BloomNet or any other network, and what can be connected depends on the network and your account with it. The team will set this up with you on your demo and show you what will come across automatically and what you would still enter by hand.

Should an independent florist stay in a wire network?

Stay in a network if, after counting every fee and every cost, the incoming orders still make money and the outgoing service brings customers you would otherwise lose. Leave or reduce your membership if wire work is breaking even or losing money and taking design time from better-paying retail orders.

Questions to ask yourself before your next renewal:

• How many incoming orders did we fill last year, and what did they earn after costs?
• How many outgoing orders did we send, and did those customers come back to buy locally?
• Are we paying for features in the network’s package that we do not use?
• Could we send our out-of-town orders directly to a few trusted shops instead?
• Would putting the membership money into our own website and local search bring more full-price orders?

There is no single right answer. Some shops depend on wire volume in quiet months; others have walked away from networks entirely and focused on their own customers. What matters is that you decide with real numbers, not a feeling.

A short glossary of wire-order terms

These are the terms you will see on network statements and incoming orders. Knowing them makes it easier to read your statements and to train new staff to handle wire work correctly.

Wire orders are not good or bad in themselves. They are a channel with costs, like any other. Keep them in their own lane, count what they earn, and set the rules that make them work for your shop.

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