The gift of global growth: Internet Florist leverages Airwallex to strengthen margins

From flowers to global gifting: The Internet Florist story

Internet Florist, founded in 2006 by CEO Tony Berkman, began with a handful of local flower delivery websites in the UAE and Europe. What started small quickly grew into a global network of over 500 niche sites, offering not only flowers but also chocolates, wine, cakes, and curated gift baskets.

By combining local flower shops with larger suppliers, Internet Florist has built a business capable of delivering gifts worldwide. However, scaling global gifting came with one persistent thorn: managing payments across borders while maintaining margins.

The challenge: fragile margins in a thorny payments landscape

Paying hundreds of suppliers across multiple countries is one of Internet Florist’s largest ongoing expenses. Before Airwallex, layered, opaque fees inflated the cost of nearly every payment.

Transfer fees, forced conversion charges, and cross-border card fees consistently eroded profitability. With 98% of the businesses' transactions classified as cross-border, the impact was significant. PayPal fees often reached nearly 5%, while Stripe hovered in the 4–5% range once hidden FX markups were factored in – a huge expense for a business operating on slim margins.

Reconciling payments across multiple platforms also slowed down operations. Accountants had to chase approvals, and leadership spent too much time double-checking payment workflows.

The solution: one platform for payments, cards, and transfers 

Internet Florist turned to Airwallex to consolidate global payments and card spend into a single platform. With multi-currency accounts, the business can now pay suppliers directly in their local currency, eliminating unnecessary currency conversions and speeding up transfers.

Card issuing and spend controls gave the finance team flexibility and oversight. Accountants can prepare transfer requests, and supervisors can instantly approve them, ensuring efficiency without compromising control. This configurability has reduced errors and given leadership confidence to delegate more of the finance workflow.

The company also enforces 3D Secure on all transactions, adding strong protection against fraud while supporting seamless global card payments.

Just as important was the human element. From the first onboarding call, Internet Florist had a dedicated account manager who guided them through the setup, answered questions promptly, and made the integration painless. Unlike other providers where “you never get to speak to anyone,” Airwallex stood out by delivering fast, personalized support that made the whole experience feel reliable from day one.

The results: realizing savings and efficiency across the business

Since adopting Airwallex, Internet Florist has seen measurable improvements. Transfers that were previously expected to take one or two days are now often delivered on the same day, keeping suppliers satisfied and operations running smoothly.

The finance team has gained clearer visibility into spend, thanks to reporting tools that simplify reconciliation. Configurable roles and limits ensure accountability while freeing leadership from manual approvals on every transaction.

Most importantly, costs are down. Every EUR transaction is now roughly 1-2% cheaper compared to their previous providers, strengthening margins across thousands of orders each month.

Building a future-ready financial foundation

For Internet Florist, Airwallex has turned a major cost center into a source of efficiency and control. By unifying Payments, Corporate Cards, and FX & Transfers under one roof, the company has established a financial foundation that scales in tandem with its global ambitions.

As Internet Florist continues to expand into new regions and add more local payment methods, Airwallex will be there to ensure seamless operations.

With fewer fees, faster payments, and a partner they can rely on, Internet Florist is free to focus on what it does best – delivering flowers, gifts, and special moments worldwide.