Payment Processing: Online Payment Systems Come of Age for American Eagle, Orvis

"We felt [alternative payment] wasn't our customer base," he said. "But over time, it became apparent that our customer base was the opposite of that. We tried to figure who the incremental customers would be as a result."

For Orvis, which works with Bill Me Later, finding the right partner proved challenging. Along the way, the outdoor sporting goods marketer took into consideration finance, operations, stores, catalogs and the web. Among other payment processes, Google Checkout "didn't go on time," he said. "We had to teach them lots of stuff."