Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, says several trends will keep the $62 billion alternative payment market in the United States active through the next five years, and that the most important factor will be mobile payments.

Packaged Facts published its findings in the newly-revised second edition of its "Alternative Payments Systems in the U.S."

According to Packaged Facts, alternative payments are electronic consumer-to-business and person-to-person (P2P) purchases made mostly via the Internet or over mobile phones. Packaged Facts' report shows the total U.S. dollar volume for online alternative payments rose 25 percent to $62 billion in 2010. That's more than double the level seen in 2006. Packaged Facts predicts the alternative payment market in the United States will reach $127 billion by 2015.

"The mobile payments market is set to explode, perhaps as early as this year," David Sprinkle, research director and publisher of Packaged Facts, said in an announcement. Sprinkle said PayPal reported $750 million in global mobile payment volume in 2010 and expects to reach $2 billion for 2011.

Sprinkle added that several major initiatives either rumored or announced indicate that interest in mobile payments is hitting critical mass.