Gift Flowers to Another Address: How to Send a Bouquet to Someone Else
To gift flowers to another address, you order online as the sender and enter the recipient's address and phone number instead of your own; you pay, and the courier brings the bouquet to that person. With Pyat Tsvetov you can do this for any address across Russia, with city delivery at 500 RUB and a free card with your text.
In our Saint Petersburg shops, which we have run since 2011, this is one of the most common situations: the person paying and the person receiving live in different places, sometimes in different countries. Customers ask us the same practical things every time, from what to write in the address field to how to keep the gift a surprise, so we have collected the answers here in the order people usually ask them.
What we need from you to deliver to someone else
The order has two sets of details: yours as the sender and the recipient's. For the recipient, give the full address including the building, entrance, floor and apartment number, plus the intercom code if you know it. In Russian apartment blocks the entrance number matters as much as the street, and a courier without it can spend a long time walking round the courtyard.
The recipient's phone number is the most important field. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so the number must be one the person actually answers. Customers sometimes hesitate to give it because they want a surprise, but the call only announces a delivery and the courier does not name the sender.
Leave your own contact details as the sender too, so that we can confirm the order and reach you if something needs clarifying. If you live abroad, give a number you can be reached on and mention it when you call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Paying when you are not in Russia
Payment is made online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, so a son in Germany or a friend in the United States can pay for a bouquet to Saint Petersburg without asking someone in Russia to help.
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, so if the address is outside the city centre, do not worry if the final delivery cost is confirmed by phone. The full conditions are on the Delivery and payment page.
A practical tip from the shop: if you pay with a foreign card, check that your bank does not block online payments in rubles. The payment usually goes through without issues, but it saves time to know your bank's settings in advance.
Bouquets we can deliver
Choosing the delivery time for another person
In large cities you can choose express delivery within 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, an exact time with a margin of plus or minus 30 minutes, or one of the time windows: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. You can also pre-order 1-30 days ahead, which customers use for birthdays and anniversaries they know about well in advance.
When sending to someone else, think about their day rather than yours. A working person is rarely at home between 12 and 15, so a delivery to the office or an evening window is more reliable. For an elderly parent, the morning window is usually best, because many older people are at home then and prefer not to answer the door late.
In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock, so we can also arrange a very late or very early delivery here, for example at midnight on a birthday. For an order from abroad, remember the time difference and choose the window by Russian local time.
Keeping the gift anonymous or signing it
Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. If you want to remain a secret admirer, write a card without a signature or with a hint only the recipient will understand. If you want the person to know it is from you, sign the card, which is free.
Customers often ask what to write. Two or three sentences are enough: the occasion, one personal line and your name as the recipient knows you. For a teacher or a doctor, a short thank-you works best; we have a separate guide on flowers for a Russian doctor or nurse with suitable wording and bouquet sizes.
If the recipient shares a flat with family, mention in the card who the flowers are for. A bouquet arriving at a family address with no name can cause friendly confusion over which person it was meant for.
When the recipient is not at home
This happens more often with gifts than with orders people make for themselves, because the recipient does not expect anything. If the recipient is not there, we agree a second delivery the same day, or with your consent the flowers can be left with a neighbour or concierge.
We always ask the sender before leaving flowers with anyone else, so be ready to answer the phone or check your messages after the delivery time. If you already know the person might be out, say so when you order and give the name of a neighbour or family member who can accept the bouquet.
For a surprise, the most reliable approach is to tell one other person in the household. They make sure someone opens the door, and the recipient still gets the surprise.
Choosing a bouquet for someone you will not see
When you cannot hand the flowers over yourself, the bouquet has to speak for you. Choose by the person's taste rather than by your own: a mother who likes garden flowers will appreciate a loose seasonal bouquet more than a strict dome of red roses. Browse the bouquets catalogue by occasion and colour and pick two or three options before you decide.
Remember Russian etiquette: mono-bouquets for a celebration have an odd number of stems, since even numbers are associated with funerals. Some older recipients also see yellow flowers as a sign of separation, so for a romantic gift choose red, pink or white. For a daughter, sister or friend, bright mixed bouquets are always welcome; we wrote more about this in flower gifts for a Russian daughter.
Finally, think about where the bouquet will stand. In a small apartment a medium bouquet is easier to place, and an elderly person will find it easier to carry and change the water. Bouquets with sturdy stems such as roses, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria stay fresh for a week or more if the stems are recut and the water is changed every two days.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send flowers to someone else's address?
Yes. Enter the recipient's address and phone number in the order and pay online. The courier delivers the bouquet to the recipient.
Will the recipient find out who sent the flowers?
Delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender. If you want to be known, sign the free card.
Can I pay with a card issued outside Russia?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa. Russian cards, SBP and Yandex Pay are accepted too.
What happens if the recipient is out?
We agree a second delivery the same day, or with your consent leave the flowers with a neighbour or concierge.
How much does delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
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