According to a documents obtained by Re/code, Google is working on a project that will allow users to pay bills directly from their Gmail account.
The service is apparently called Pony Express—though it’s unlikely that is the name Google will use when it brings the service to market.
The documents Re/code obtained give a detailed overview of how Gmail users sign up for the service.
The website says interested users are asked to provide their name, address and social security number. This information is then apparently sent to a third-party company that independently verifies it. A screenshot of a part of the sign up process can be seen below.
Once someone is signed up, they can start reciving bills in Gmail or in Google’s new Inbox app.
Users can also tie a debit card or bank account directly to the service to pay for any bill. It should be noted that Google Wallet, Google’s current payment solution, does not currently allow someone to access a bank account through it.
Other interesting features include the ability to share bills with other Gmail users, and the ability to set up Pony Express to automatically share a bill with another Gmail user when it is received.
Re/code says it expects the service to launch later this year.
Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly said that a bank account cannot be tied to a Google Wallet account. A bank account can, in fact, be linked to Google Wallet.
[source]Re/code[/source]
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