Google is reportedly creating a bill payment service that will be integrated with its Gmail service.
The Pony Express will require users to provide personal information such as name, address, credit card details, Social Security numbers and a third-party account for verification, according to a document obtained by Re/code.
The new service is predicted to pave the way for the search engine giant to venture into new businesses, such as lending or personal finance. It will also pool in more financial data that can be used for e-commerce and ads, although it is still uncertain how the company would generate revenue from the bill payment service. The document showed that Google would be partnering with service providers such as insurance companies, telecoms and utilities which usually mail out bills.
While electronic bills are nothing new, Pony Express would be convenient for users who would be ready to process their payments as soon as they get their bills, instead of printing them out and going to a payment center, or accessing their online banking to process payments. The new service would be like a read-and-pay, one-stop service.
The Pony Express is expected to go live in the last quarter of this year.
A Google spokesperson refused to comment on the service.
