NEW MEMBER GUIDE
A MESSAGE FROM TOM
Welcome to FTD! We're committed to helping florists prosper by providing innovative tools and valuable growth opportunities. Whether you're an established florist or just getting started, we want to be your partner in success.
GROW YOUR ORDER VOLUME
• Our top-tier brands and partners make it easy to grow incoming order volume every day.
• As an FTD member, you'll benefit from the consistent demand generated by our leading brands, including FTD, Proflowers and From You Flowers.
WIN LOCALLY & GENERATE REVENUE ONLINE
• With a Mercury Online website, powered by Shopify, the #1 e-commerce platform, you can take your business to the next level.
• Reach more customers in your local area and expand your revenue streams with a powerful and user-friendly online storefront.
MANAGE YOUR TOTAL BUSINESS WITH MERCURY TECHNOLOGY
• Streamline your operations and gain greater control with our cutting-edge Mercury Technology operating systems.
• Mercury HQ allows you to manage your business from the palm of your hand, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency.
WORK TOGETHER AND SOLVE BUSINESS CHALLENGES
• When you join FTD, you're not just becoming part of a network – you're gaining a trusted business partner dedicated to your success.
• We offer affordable solutions, valuable resources, and a collaborative environment to help you navigate challenges and achieve your business goals.
Thank you for choosing FTD. We are excited for our partnership and look forward to helping your business grow stronger.
Tom Moeller
President,
Florist Partnerships & Operations
YOUR FTD TEAM AND KEY CONTACTS
You have an entire team ready to support you to help your business grow stronger. Your Field Account Manager (FAM) is your main contact to ensure you have the right products and services to meet your goals. Our Member Services support team is available to assist you with questions about your account, statements, payments and more. Our customer support teams are your go-to resource for assistance, all conveniently available at 800.788.9000.
The Member Service team is your go-to resource for a wide range of essential support, including:
CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAMS
MEMBER SERVICES
Monday thru Friday from 7:30 am – 6:30 pm CT
MERCURY SUPPORT
Monday thru Friday from 7:30 am – 6:30 pm CT
Saturday from 7:30 am – 4:00 pm CT
MARKETPLACE & FLOWER EXCHANGE
Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CT
CREDIT CARD PROCESSING
Monday thru Friday from 7:30 am – 6:30 pm CT
• New Member Orientation: Guiding new florists through the FTD network and setting you up for success.
• Payment Processing: Efficiently handling your electronic fund transfer and wire payments.
• General Inquiries: Providing clear and concise answers to your questions, with expertise in navigating statement inquiries, as well as reviewing order disputes.
• Proactive Coaching: Providing valuable insights and guidance on key policies like the Delayed Response Program (DRP), Delivery Confirmation Program (DCON), and proof of delivery/ non-delivery claims, all designed to enhance consumer experience and protect your business.
The Member Services team is equipped and ready to provide the expert assistance you need when you need it. We're here to help you grow stronger!
10 TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FTD PARTNERSHIP
OPTIMIZE YOUR SERVICE AREA
Set realistic cut-off times that align with your design and delivery capabilities. This ensures timely order fulfillment and customer satisfaction. Same-day delivery cut-off times are 11 am and 2 pm (local time). 1 2 3 4 5
Clearly define the towns and zip codes you wish to serve. This allows FTD to send you targeted orders, maximizing your local impact and ensuring efficient deliveries.
SET YOUR PRICE FOR PROFIT
Establish a minimum suggested retail price (SRP) of $50 or higher for orders. This strategy helps you secure higher value orders and boost your overall profitability.
FOCUS ON OVERALL PROFITABILITY
When evaluating order profitability, consider your average order value over a month, rather than focusing on individual orders. This provides a more accurate picture of your financial success.
TRANSPARENT PRICING FOR CUSTOMERS
Remember order SRPs include $10 for delivery. Avoid requesting additional money from customers, as this can lead to a negative experience.
CONTROL YOUR DELIVERY TIMES
BEST SELLERS
Our goal is to help you be as successful as possible. That is why we share the projected best sellers for the following month to make sure you know what containers and flowers you need to fill FTD, Proflowers and From You Flowers orders.
The best sellers can be found at FTDI.COM/BESTSELLERS. A monthly email reminder is also sent to you.
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KEEP YOUR MERCURY HQ ONLINE & READY
Maintain an active connection to your Mercury HQ system and adhere to best practices for order management. This ensures you receive and process orders efficiently. See page 9 for best practices if you need to suspend your system.
CONFIRM DELIVERIES IN REAL-TIME WITH PHOTOS
Fully utilize the Mercury HQ app for real-time delivery confirmations and proof of delivery photos. This ensures a seamless consumer experience and helps avoid late or non-delivery charges.
MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL INVENTORY
Minimize rejects to maximize your order revenue and profitability, but if you do need to reject, do so within two hours to avoid late reject fees.
KNOW WHEN TO DECLINE AN ORDER
If you're short on time, staff, or inventory, it's okay to reject orders. Just be sure to do so within two hours to avoid late reject fees and remain in good standing.
BUILD YOUR LOCAL BRAND & CUSTOMER BASE
Attach your business card to every arrangement to promote your shop and build your local customer file. For an added boost, sign up for a Mercury Online website (powered by Shopify) to capture your local market and generate online revenue– with no fixed monthly fees!
GROW STRONGER WITH FTD
Products and services to achieve your goals.
MANAGE YOUR TOTAL BUSINESS WITH MERCURY TECHNOLOGY
With real-time syncing for access wherever life takes you, Mercury HQ allows you to manage orders, transactions and deliveries, export data, integrate orders from all sources, and more.
WIN LOCALLY & GENERATE REVENUE ONLINE
The Mercury Online platform is powered by Shopify, the leading e-commerce website on the market today. Florists on the FTD website are experiencing an average conversion rate of sales between 7 – 10% with the average order value at $105. A free email marketing program is included and additional online marketing services are also available.
MOBILE APP STREAMLINES DELIVERY OPERATIONS
The Mercury HQ mobile app allows you to take a photo of the product at the delivery location and/or capture a signature for proof of delivery to be automatically shared with the sender in real-time.
WHOLESALE PRODUCTS AT COMPETITIVE PRICES
Purchase online or talk with a wholesale specialist about the variety of fresh flowers, containers and other shop supplies we offer at competitive prices and charged to your monthly statement.
EXPAND YOUR DELIVERY CAPACITY
The FTD Delivery Service helps manage your delivery needs. We have partners to give you access to a network of professional local delivery drivers — 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
CREDIT CARD PROCESSING
With seamless Mercury HQ integration, credit card processing with FTD has no hidden fees, contactless and digital payments, and offers daily direct deposits to your bank account.
LOCAL ORDER PROGRAM
FTD partners with the nation’s leading delivery services to provide an additional order stream to florists with minimal effort required on your part. All florists are automatically signed up for this program. Your Field Account Manager is ready to learn more about your shop and determine which services are best for your business.
ORDER WHOLESALE PRODUCTS ONLINE
Shop online conveniently and manage order history and track packages.
MARKETPLACE ftdmarketplace.com/Marketplace
FLOWER EXCHANGE sales.ftdflowerexchange.com/
Create an account under “Log In” on both sites.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
Our quality programs give florists guidelines that protect them and their consumers from potential customer service issues. The following programs ensure florists follow standard order guidelines to provide an excellent customer experience.
DELAYED RESPONSE POLICY
If you’re not able to fill an order, please let us know within one hour and 50 minutes of receiving it. This way, the order can be sent back into the network to find a florist that can complete the order.
If you acknowledge you can fill an order and either deliver it late or not at all, you may receive a Delayed Response fee. This program is a proactive approach to preventing late or non-delivery of consumer orders and protects the sending florist from customer service issues.
Any fees collected from the filling florist are credited to the sending florist.
For a list of frequently asked questions, go to www.ftdi.com/quality/drp/faq.htm
DELIVERY CONFIRMATION POLICY
Delivering an exceptional experience for our customers is a top priority. All FTD orders should receive a delivery confirmation by 7:00 pm (local time) on the same day of delivery, after the customer receives the delivery.
For any delivery not confirmed by 7:00 pm (local time), a minimum of $2.25 fee per order will be processed on your FTD Statement.
The Mercury HQ mobile app is a great solution to streamline your delivery process and eliminate charges for missing proof of delivery details or late confirmations.
For more details about delivery confirmations, go to www.ftdi.com/quality/delivery/.
ORDER COMMUNICATION
Sometimes, communicating with a sending florist on an order is important to ensure it is delivered as expected.
• Use the chat feature in Mercury HQ to obtain additional information.
• These messages will appear in the Order Journey section of the Order Details.
Sending a question does not stop the timer to accept or reject an order.
• If you do not receive an answer to your question in a timely manner, it is recommended you reject the order within the 1 hour and 50-minute timeframe of receiving the order, leaving good notes.
Chat messages communicate about:
• Delivery attempts and updates
• Order details or substitutions
• Any other questions about the orders
Price Change Request is for more funds to fill the order:
• This is a request and must be approved by the sending florist.
• Sending a price change request on FTD.com orders can affect your opportunity for orders and may result in a cancellation.
HOW TO SUSPEND ORDERS IN MERCURY HQ
For times when you are away from the shop or need to re-group during a busy holiday, you need to know how to suspend orders from being sent to your shop.
To suspend Mercury HQ:
1. On your side menu - select "Mercury Settings".
2. Select the pencil to the right in the "Florist to Florist" Network box.
3. Select your Start Date and Time for when you want the suspension to start. Then select the End Date and Time for when you want the suspension to end. Once completed, select "Schedule Suspension".
4. Once the suspend start time has passed, the section will show that your shop is suspended and reflect the active suspend dates for reference.
To resume Mercury HQ:
1. On your side menu - select "Mercury Settings".
2. Select the pencil to the right in the "Florist to Florist" Network box.
3. From there, you can adjust the End Date and time to the time you wish to resume and click "Save Changes". You can also click "Resume Now" to resume immediately.
Visit the Help section in Mercury HQ to learn more about all the features in the platform.
CLEARINGHOUSE STATEMENT
Every month, you will have access to your shop’s Statement for the previous month’s activities by logging into the Clearinghouse Statement on FTDi.com. The statement provides your detailed activity with FTD for the prior month.
For information on signing up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments, please contact Member Services at 800.788.9000.
SAMPLE STATEMENT
1. Previous Balance – The ending balance of your prior month’s statement.
2. Settlement – Any payments sent to you or received by FTD since the last statement date.
3. Beginning Balance – Previous Balance plus/minus Settlements equals your Beginning Balance.
4. Current Activity – Current month credits/charges for goods and services provided to you by FTD.
5. Total Balance – Beginning Balance plus/minus Current Activity equals your Current Balance.
6. Beginning Balance – Previous Balance plus/minus Settlements equals your Beginning Balance.
7. FTD Wire Orders – The net total of outgoing and incoming orders and related activity, including international transmission charges, order adjustments and sending fees.
8. FTD Membership – Service fees such as Membership.
9. FTD Floral Products – Goods purchased from FTD Marketplace and Flower Exchange, including shipping and handling fees.
10. Mercury Technology – Purchase cost or rental for your FTD Mercury system and transmission charges. FTD only charges to receive an order; not to reject.
11. Credit Cards – Monthly credit cards processed, ACH amounts and fees for FTD Cash-FloTM Program.
12. Online and Other Services – FTD Mercury Online and other miscellaneous credits/charges.
13. Subscriptions – Other non-FTD credits/charges.
14. Education and Quality – Fee for quality monitoring, marketing and educational webinars
15. FTD Rebates – Amount earned for Dollars & ScentsTM and Cash-FloTM rebates.
16. Transfers and Payments – EFT payment to you, as well as other miscellaneous credits/charges.
17. Total Balance – Beginning Balance plus/minus Current Activity equals your Total Balance.
18. FTD Check or Payment Coupon – Amount due to you or owed to FTD for your ending statement balance. Payments are due on the 25th of each month. FTD Electronic Check is transmitted on the 10th or 25th (or next business day) and Electronic Debit is transmitted on the 25th of each month. Payment mailing addresses are as follows:
U.S. Customer Payments: FTD, LLC.
P.O. Box 554440 Minneapolis, MN 55485-4440
Canadian Customer Payments: Toronto Dominion Bank 156 Ouellette Ave.
Windsor, ON, Canada N9A 1A4
A. FTD Order Summary – Year-to-date and current month outgoing and incoming order activity, commissions and advances.
B. YTD Orders – Number of year-to-date outgoing and incoming orders based on a calendar year.
C. YTD Activity – Year-to-date values for outgoing and incoming orders, commissions and advances based on a calendar year.
D. Current Orders – Number of current month outgoing and incoming orders.
E. Current Order Values – Current month values for outgoing and incoming orders.
F. Current Activity – Current month values for outgoing and incoming order activity, commissions and advances.
G. FTD Orders Outgoing – The number and value of FTD orders sent by you into the network.
H. Commissions Earned on Outgoing FTD Orders – 20% commission earned on the value of FTD outgoing orders.
I. FTD Orders Incoming – The number and value of FTD orders filled by you.
J. Commissions Given on Incoming FTD Orders –20% commission earned on the value of order sent by you into the network.
K. FTD.com Orders Incoming – The number and value of FTD.com orders filled by you.
L. Commissions Given on Incoming FTD.com Orders –Commission given on the value of FTD.com orders.
M. Marketing and Clearinghouse Advances – 7% advance given on the value of incoming FTD and FTD.com orders.
N. Net Total of FTD Orders – Sum of commissions earned on outgoing FTD orders, net of FTD and FTD.com incoming orders and advances. FTD orders outgoing values are not included in this total.
O. FTD Rebate Credit – Earned and potential earnings of Dollars & ScentsTM and Cash-FloTM rebates.
P. Dollars & Scents™ Order Rebate® – YTD activity represents actual calendar year earnings credited to your statement. Current activity represents the potential rebate earnings on the value of outgoing FTD orders.
Q. Cash-Flo™ Rebate – YTD activity represents actual calendar year earnings credited to your statement. Current activity represents the potential rebate earnings on the matched value between outgoing FTD orders and credit card activity.
R. Total FTD Rebate – The sum of your Dollars & Scents and Cash-Flo rebates.
FTD reserves the right to claim and apply all funds and credits under its control to balances owed to FTD. All questions regarding billing issues must be submitted in writing to FTD within 60 days of receipt of the FTD Clearinghouse Statement.
