What do florists really earn on a wire service order?
Wire services move flower orders from wherever they’re placed to a local shop that makes and delivers them. The idea is good, it’s how a shop gets orders it could never reach alone. The economics, though, deserve a closer look than most shops give them.
Where does the money go on a relay order?
By the time a relay order reaches the fulfilling florist, several hands have taken a share: the platform that sold it, the sending network, sometimes a monthly membership and per-order transmission fees on top. A 2005 news report on the industry described a typical split in which the order-taking florist keeps a 20 percent commission, the wire service takes another 7 percent, and the florist who makes and delivers the arrangement gets the remaining 73 percent, with dues and fees on top. A florist interviewed by WRAL in 2015 described a 20 percent commission plus 9 percent in clearinghouse fees. Those are reports, not current price lists, and terms vary, but every cut comes before your flowers, your time and your delivery. Some shops calculate honestly and find certain relay orders earn them almost nothing.
So are order networks a bad deal?
Not inherently, an order you couldn’t otherwise receive is real revenue, and quiet weeks are long. The problem isn’t that networks exist; it’s terms that are hard to see clearly. The question to ask isn’t “should I join a network?” but “do I know exactly what I’ll be paid, and when?”
Five questions to ask before joining any network
- What exact amount reaches me on a typical order, after every fee?
- When am I paid, before delivery, or weeks later on a statement?
- Can I decline an order without penalty?
- Who handles the customer if something goes wrong?
- Is there a membership fee even in months with no orders?
Quick answers
What’s the alternative to wire services?
Most shops combine several sources: direct orders from local search and their own site, plus one or more networks for the orders that start far away. The mix matters more than any single channel.
MaestroFlor’s answer to those five questions is short: what we quote on an offer is what you’re paid, 90% the moment you accept, the remaining 10% after one photo of the finished bouquet, always before delivery. No joining fee, and declining is always free. Here’s how getting paid works.