http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/03/09/41578/Mounting bitcoin transaction fees make this payment method far less appealing as of late. Things have gotten so bad BitPay made some intriguing changes. As of today, the company charges a minimum transaction fee. This new invoice minimum is a direct response to the increasing cost of miner fees. Not a positive development for the bitcoin sector by any means.
...The decision by BitPay will receive a lot of criticism, though. The minimum invoice amount is now US$1 instead of US$0.04. In most cases, this will not make much of a difference. However, it sets a dangerous precedent for the future, Then again, with transaction fees rising, it will still cost US$2 to make the US$1 payment. Solving this transaction fee problem will be a different matter entirely, that much is certain.
BitPay refers to this decision as a result of fees having increased to bid for the limited supply of space per bitcoin block. While that is certainly true, it seems a solution is further away than before. With competing branches of development, no real progress is being made. Rather than trying to work together, both concepts continue to oppose each other. Until common ground is found, bitcoin fees will continue to mount at an accelerated pace.