Google is adding to its growing arsenal of mobile applications and services--according to a patent originally filed in February 2006 and made public last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the search giant is planning a mobile payment service. The so-called "GPay" service would enable consumers to authenticate payments, debit purchaser accounts and credit seller accounts via text message. Described in the patent application as "a computer-implemented method of effectuating an electronic on-line payment," GPay appears roughly similar in concept and scope to existing mobile payment platforms--a year ago, Google launched an online payment system, Google Checkout, and in May released a mobile iteration of the service, which is presently limited to online transactions.
For more on the GPay patent:
- read this Information Week article [1]
- check out this sketch of the UI [2]
Related articles:
Google [3] to launch gPhone in September
Google [4] files mobile advertising patent
Vodafone, Google [5] team on map services
Links:
[1] http://www.informationweek.com/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201804016
[2] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/gpay-image/2007-09-04
[3] http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/google-to-launch-gphone-in-september/2007-08-27?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=link
[4] http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/google-files-mobile-advertising-patent/2007-01-26
[5] http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/vodafone-google-team-on-map-services/2007-02-12