Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Networking
    • PC Hardware

    Alternative Payments Becoming Not So Alternative

    By
    Evan Schuman
    -
    December 12, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Although the top alternative payment options today can hardly be called mainstream, the adoption rate of the top three has continued to soar, with almost one out of every three major e-tailers accepting at least one, according to a new study from Brulant.

      That 30 percent of major e-tailers accepting alternative payment in November is up from 24 percent in February and 9 percent in October 2006.

      The Brulant study looked at what payment methods were accepted by the 100 largest e-tailers in the United States. All three of the top alternative payment players—Bill Me Later, PayPal and Google Checkout—could find something to brag about in the results.

      The actual number of sites gave Bill Me Later the winning hand, accounting for some 21 percent of the surveyed sites, the top result. Although PayPal came in second, at 19 percent, it scored with the largest increase since the prior report. PayPal’s adoption rate increased 217 percent since the February survey. Even though Google Checkout was the smallest in the new survey—10 percent—it can brag about having doubled its adoption rate since the last survey.

      To read about why J.C. Penney wants Congress to tax e-tailers, click here.

      Altogether, it shows a robust alternative payment space. That point was driven home Dec. 11, when Amazon.com announced that it would accept its first alternative payment and that it would be Bill Me Later.

      The Amazon statement gave Bill Me Later a morale boost, but its statement was vague on details. Although saying that it would offer Bill Me Later as an option to its customers, neither Amazon nor Bill Me Later would say when, other than that it wouldn’t be this year.

      Amazon’s statement also said that it was making an unspecified equity investment in Bill Me Later. Mark Lavelle, Bill Me Later’s vice president of business development, clarified that Amazon’s would be a minority investment, but wouldn’t be any more specific.

      To varying degrees, this gives the three most powerful online companies a stake in each of the three top alternative payment players, with Google pushing its own Google Checkout, eBay banking on its PayPal service and Amazon owning a slice of Bill Me Later.

      The Brulant study also noted a new payment development, with an increase in retailers accepting all three forms of alternative payment. “One of the most surprising findings in our most recent evaluation is the increase in retailers offering all three alternative payment methods,” said Brulant principal Adam Cohen. “As recently as February of this year, none of the retailers we surveyed offered all three methods. Today we find 5 percent adoption of all three.”

      The retailers in the study accepting all three were the National Hockey Leagues Web site, PetSmart, Rite Aid, Sharper Image and Toys”R”Us.

      Retail Center Editor Evan Schuman can be reached at [email protected].

      Check out eWEEK.com’s Retail Center for the latest news, views and analysis on technology’s impact on retail.

      Evan Schuman
      Evan Schuman is the editor of CIOInsight.com's Retail industry center. He has covered retail technology issues since 1988 for Ziff-Davis, CMP Media, IDG, Penton, Lebhar-Friedman, VNU, BusinessWeek, Business 2.0 and United Press International, among others. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×