Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers about sending flowers to Australia from overseas: delivery days, cut-off times, sizes, payment and local customs.
Ordering and delivery to Australia
How do I send flowers to Australia from abroad?
Choose an arrangement on FlowerShopsAustralia, pick the size and delivery date, enter the recipient's Australian address and mobile number, write your card message and pay by card or PayPal. You can order from the US, the UK, Europe, Asia or anywhere else, at any hour. Australian addresses need the unit or apartment number if there is one, the street number and name, the suburb, the state or territory and a four-digit postcode. A local florist then prepares the flowers by hand and delivers them to the door.
Which cities in Australia do you deliver to?
We deliver to every town in Australia through local florists. That includes the capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin, regional centres such as the Gold Coast, Newcastle, Cairns and Toowoomba, and smaller country towns. Enter the suburb and postcode at checkout and the order is passed to a florist who serves that area. For very remote stations or small islands, send us a message through the contact form before ordering.
Can you deliver to a hospital, office or hotel?
Yes. Florists deliver to private homes, apartment buildings, offices, hotels, aged care homes, universities and most hospitals. For a hospital, give the patient's full name and the ward, and check that the ward accepts flowers, because intensive care and some specialist units do not. For a workplace, add the company name and floor. For a hotel, use the name on the booking. In every case the recipient's mobile number helps the florist hand over the flowers smoothly.
What happens if the recipient is not at home?
The florist may phone the recipient to arrange a suitable moment, which is why a phone number is required with every order. If the recipient is not available, the flowers may be left with a neighbour, a reception desk or a building concierge, or the florist arranges a new delivery attempt. You are welcome to add instructions such as the name of a neighbour or relative who can accept the bouquet, which is useful in the heat of the Australian summer.
Delivery times and dates
Is same-day flower delivery available in Australia?
No, same-day delivery is not available in Australia. We offer next-day delivery nationwide, Monday to Saturday. Place your order before midnight local time and a local florist delivers on the next delivery day. For example, an order completed on Tuesday evening arrives on Wednesday, and an order placed on Saturday is delivered on Monday, because there are no Sunday deliveries. If the date matters, ordering a few days ahead is the safest option.
Do you deliver on Sundays and public holidays?
No. There are no deliveries on Sundays or on main national public holidays such as New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day. The date picker at checkout blocks those dates automatically. Because Mother's Day and Father's Day always fall on a Sunday in Australia, most customers choose the Saturday before, which also lets the recipient enjoy the flowers for the whole weekend.
Can I choose a delivery time or schedule an order in advance?
You can state a preferred time window and you can schedule up to about three months ahead. Deliveries are made during the day, and exact times cannot be guaranteed. Write your preference in the delivery instructions, for instance before lunch or after the school run, and the florist will try to meet it. Advance scheduling is handy for birthdays, anniversaries and busy dates like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
Which time zone does the midnight cut-off follow?
The cut-off is midnight local time, and Australia has three main time zones. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart are on eastern time, Adelaide and Darwin are half an hour behind, and Perth is two hours behind the east. In the warmer months New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory move their clocks forward one hour, while Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not. If you are ordering late at night from overseas, check the current time in the destination city first.
Flowers, sizes and add-ons
What is the difference between Regular, Upgraded and Deluxe?
The three sizes differ in the quantity of flowers. Upgraded contains about 30% more flowers than Regular, and Deluxe about 60% more. The product photo on the site shows the Upgraded version, so a Regular bouquet will look a little smaller and a Deluxe one fuller. The style and colours stay the same across sizes. Most arrangements are offered in all three.
Will the bouquet look exactly like the photo?
It will match the style, colours and overall look, but individual stems can vary. Each bouquet is made by hand by a local florist with what is fresh that day. If a particular flower is out of season locally, the florist may replace it with flowers of equal or higher value in the same colours and style. Australia's seasons are opposite to those of Europe and North America, so availability can differ from what you expect at home.
Can I add chocolates, a vase or a card to my order?
Yes. You can add a box of chocolates, a glass vase, a plush teddy bear, a greeting card, balloons or a bottle of wine. Every order also includes a free printed card message, so you do not need to buy a card to send your words. Type the message at checkout exactly as you want it to appear, and remember to include your name so the recipient knows who the flowers are from.
Do you sell cakes or gift hampers?
No, we do not sell cakes, food hampers or other gifts. FlowerShopsAustralia concentrates on fresh flowers prepared by local florists, with a small range of add-ons: chocolates, a glass vase, a teddy bear, a greeting card, balloons and a bottle of wine. If you want a fuller gift, a Deluxe bouquet with chocolates and a vase is a good combination.
Payment and orders
How can I pay, and in which currency?
You can pay with an international credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express), processed by Stripe, or with PayPal. Checkout is secure and encrypted. All orders are charged in US dollars (USD). The site can also display approximate prices in euros and Australian dollars for reference, but the amount billed is the USD total, and your bank or PayPal converts it if your account uses another currency.
How much is the delivery fee?
Delivery costs a flat USD 14.95 per order, to any address in Australia. There are no other surcharges, whether the flowers go to central Sydney or to a small country town. The fee is shown at checkout before you pay, together with the price of the arrangement and any add-ons you have chosen.
Can I change or cancel my order?
Yes. Changes and cancellations are free up to 24 hours before the delivery date. That covers the address, the date, the card message or the whole order. After that point the florist may already have bought the flowers, so we handle late requests on a best-effort basis. Send your request through the contact form at /page/contact and include your order number.
What if the flowers arrive damaged or are not what I ordered?
Contact us within 24 hours of delivery through the form at /page/contact, with your order number and a photo of the flowers. If the arrangement arrived damaged or is clearly different from what you ordered, we arrange a replacement or a refund. A photo taken soon after delivery lets us settle the matter quickly with the florist.
Will I receive a confirmation, and how do I reach you?
Yes. An email confirmation with your order number is sent right after you complete the order. If you need help at any stage, use the contact form at /page/contact. We usually reply within a few hours, and mentioning the order number speeds things up. Check your spam folder if the confirmation does not appear in your inbox.
Occasions and etiquette in Australia
When is Mother's Day in Australia?
Mother's Day in Australia is the second Sunday in May, the same date as in the United States and Canada but different from the United Kingdom. It falls in the Australian autumn, when chrysanthemums are in bloom, and they are the traditional Mother's Day flower here, helped by the fact that Australians call their mothers Mum. As we do not deliver on Sundays, choose the Saturday before. Father's Day is the first Sunday in September.
Which flowers are typically Australian, and are any best avoided?
Native flowers are the most distinctively Australian choice. Banksia, waratah, kangaroo paw, eucalyptus foliage and golden wattle, the national floral emblem, give bouquets a textured, long-lasting look that many Australians love. Roses, lilies, gerberas and tulips are just as widely given. There are few taboos: colours and numbers carry little superstition in Australia, although red roses are read as romantic and white lilies are often associated with sympathy.
What is the etiquette for sympathy and funeral flowers in Australia?
Sympathy flowers are appreciated in Australia, but check the funeral notice first. Families sometimes ask for a donation to a charity in lieu of flowers, and it is polite to respect that. Otherwise, wreaths and sheaves are usually sent to the funeral director before the service, while a softer bouquet or arrangement goes to the family home, either straight away or in the following weeks. White and pastel flowers, lilies, roses and natives are all suitable. Keep the card message short and sincere.
Do Australia's seasons affect which flowers I should send?
Yes. Australian seasons are the reverse of the northern hemisphere: summer runs from December to February and winter from June to August. Valentine's Day and Christmas arrive in hot weather, so florists favour hardy stems and recipients should put flowers in water in a cool room quickly. Spring, from September to November, has the widest choice. The tropical north, including Cairns and Darwin, has a wet and a dry season instead of four seasons.
Who is behind FlowerShopsAustralia?
FlowerShopsAustralia is operated by Flowers Worldwide LLC, a company registered in the United States. Its sister brands are abcFlora.com, for worldwide flower delivery, and FlowersCloud.com. We work with local florists in Australia who prepare each arrangement by hand and deliver it to the door, so your order is made close to the recipient and is not shipped in a box from overseas.