Google Inc, the most-used Internet search engine, released an online payments system yesterday that will let consumers store credit-card information and use their Google account to purchase products on the Web.

Google Checkout will be offered on the websites of companies including Buy.com Inc, Starbucks Corp and Levi Strauss & Co, Google vice-president Salar Kamangar said on Wednesday. Google ads bought by companies supporting the software will include a small cart icon.

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