The emergence of a patent filing has stoked speculation that Google is working on a mobile phone-based payments service dubbed “GPay”, which the search giant could roll out with a new phone handset.

Speculation increased last week over the possible shape of Google’s next foray into telecoms when a host of blogs carried pictures of what was claimed to be a low-cost internet-enabled handset – the “GPhone”.

The new patent, which was filed last year by Google but has only just been published, describes how a text message from a mobile phone could trigger a “computer-implemented method of effectuating an electronic online payment”.

While mobile phone-based payment systems already exist, some commentators suggested that the development of such a service could give Google a lift as it makes a big push into telecoms.

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A Google spokesman said: “We file patent applications on a variety of ideas that our employees come up with. Some of those ideas later mature into real products or services, some don’t.”

The GPay patent filing describes a system where a user sends a text message to Google that gives details of a payment to a specified payee. GPay would debit the user’s bank account and credit the payee. It suggests that a user would not have to keep an account with Gpay as payments would be made externally.

The filing added to the feverish speculation that Google is set to make a move into mobile phone hardware. Last week, reports suggested that Google is to launch an internet-ena-bled phone, or range of phones, that could retail for as little as $100 (£50) when it makes its debut in America.

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