A recent study by Pew Research indicates that "nearly two-thirds of internet users (65%) have paid to download or access some kind of online content from the internet, ranging from music to games to news articles."

The average expense for those who have paid for content was approximately $47 per month for material downloaded or accessed, including both subscriptions (an average of $12 per month) and individual file access (an average of $22 per month). However, some extremely high-end users push the average higher, with most purchasers spending about $10 per month.

Lending Club and PerkStreet Financial have announced the launch of a 'Shred Your Credit Card' contest.

The contest inspires consumers to end the cycle of credit card debt once and for all by destroying their credit cards. Rewards of up to $1,000* will go to the contestants who devise the most creative way to destroy their credit cards and share the video. Entries can be submitted and viewed at www.shredyourcreditcard.com.

Western Union has announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Angelo Costa S.r.l., one of its leading money transfer network agents in Europe. "Angelo Costa manages relationships with over 7,500 subagent locations across several countries in Europe. Western Union currently owns 30% of the company, and will acquire the remaining 70% for a cash purchase price of 100 million Euros."

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• San Jose Mercury News: PayPal's Laura Chambers Talks Mobile Payments
• Vending Times: How the Sprout Card System Will Benefit Vending Patrons, Suppliers And Operators
• Wall Street Journal: Some Retailers Swipe at Credit-Card Proposal
• TechCrunch: Square Starts 2011 with A New Round At A Big Valuation
• Chicago Sun-Times: 8 Million Fewer Consumers Use Bank-issued Credit Cards
• Portals and Rails: Demand Deposit Accounts: Balancing Convenience and Risk
• TMCnet.com: 17 Chinese Companies Apply for Third Party Payment License
• Technorati: Five Things To Do With Unwanted Gift Cards
• Internet Retailer: PayPal to Build an ‘e-commerce hub’ in Southwestern China
• TechCrunch: The Year In Virtual Goods By The Numbers