Isn’t it about time that the channel through which we learn about our bills also be the tool with which we pay them? Google thinks so, which is why the company is working on a way for Gmail users to pay their bills directly through the email service. Known as Pony Express, this new service would use third-party services to examine people’s personal information and then collect all of the bills that they need to pay.
Google is working on a way to let people easily receive and pay their bills through Gmail, Re/code’s Jason Del Rey reports, having read an internal document outlining the project. Called Pony Express, the service would use third-party services to vet people’s personal information and pull in any bills they need to pay. The service would then allow users to settle their debts within Gmail, either through Google Wallet, or a new service Google would set up for that purpose (Wallet currently doesn’t hook up to users’ bank accounts). Although most service providers like insurance companies and telecoms already offer email-based bill-paying services, Pony Express would presumably make the payment process simpler by organizing all the bills into one folder. Del Rey reports that Pony Express would also let Gmail users share bills, like between roommates splitting their utilities. Of course, this new service wouldn’t be without privacy concerns since it could give Google direct access to individuals’ financial data.