Re/code reports that Google is currently working on a service which will allow Gmail users to pay their bills within their email accounts. Called Pony Express, users who wish to use this service will need to feed in their personal information, though this data identification will be handled by a third party rather than Google itself. Users might need to provide information such as a credit card number or phone numbers.
With Pony Express, Google wants to take in the type of financial data which would allow it to expand into new businesses. This data could also be used to refine how advertisements are targeted to users on Google, YouTube and partnering sites. Such a service would also fit Google’s ongoing desire to bring all of the world’s information online, most notably its Google Books project, which has so far digitized well over 30 million volumes.
AS per the source, any Gmail user can register for this service by entering their name, address, phone number and social security number (for US customers) into this tool. A third party will verify this data, and based on that, the service would be activated. There is also a speculation that the user maybe be prompted to enter their credit card information in the beginning, in case Google Wallet it not activated for that Gmail user.
Google would not be the first company to attempt to help people organize and pay bills from a centralized location. A startup called Manilla, backed by Hearst, offered a service like this for several years before shutting down last year. An app called Check also allows people to view and pay for their bills through the app. Intuit bought Check last year for $360 million. Google’s potential advantage here is the millions of people who already use its email services.
