Online retail giant Amazon has signed an agreement to use the services of mobile payment firm Bango without divulging much detail on how the two companies will work together beyond Bango’s statement that it is now working with Amazon which it says is its third customer.

According to The Next Web, the online giant “may be using Bango’s expertise to directly charge app downloads to a user’s monthly mobile bill”. If that is its chosen path then Amazon will be following in the footsteps of RIM and Opera (the two other customers) who both partner with Bango for this type of payment. Alternatively, Amazon might want its customers to add small payments for physical goods (as opposed to apps) to their mobile operator’s bill. The online giant already offers a popular barcode-reading app for smartphones so that users can swipe retail goods and see if they cost less on Amazon's own site.