Crypto payment processor BitPay received the cold shoulder from the Hong Kong free press (HKFP) today as it switched to receiving bitcoin donations from BitPay’s rival, BTCPay.
In what appears to be a less than amicable split, the HKFP editor in chief, Tom Grundy, noted that the media outlet had “escaped the clutches of BitPay.”
12 ways to support press freedom in #HongKong: https://t.co/C3T6f6bepx
Bitcoin donations via BTCPay help HKFP to eliminate processing fees & allow readers to make a fully anonymous contribution. Scroll down to donate crypto: https://t.co/C3T6f6bepx pic.twitter.com/chLVChMP3T
— Hong Kong Free Press (@HongKongFP) October 10, 2019
Grundy linked to a donation banner which conveyed that the HKFP was once again accepting bitcoin – only this time via their former payment processor’s rival, BTCPay.
Blocked by BitPay
The decision to sever the relationship with BitPay came after the payment processor allegedly blocked donations, providing the independent media outlet little to no reason behind for the embargo.
Last month, Grundy announced that crypto payments were to be stopped, thanking supports of the HKFP, before revealing that BitPay hadn’t been playing fair.
BIG THANKS to HKFP's supporters who donated HK$14,817 in Bitcoin since 2015.
However, cryto donations are temporarily suspended as @BitPay has refused to transfer @hongkongfp's donations for 3 weeks without good reason. @spair @BitPaySupport pic.twitter.com/gz6AdozcNe
— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) September 11, 2019
Never use BitPay” Grundy urged, following the debacle, adding “truly the worst experience you can imagine – poor reputation, abysmal communication, horrible customer service, *very* high fees.
The non-profit relies on crowdfunding in order to support their endeavors. One way in which they’ve managed to stay afloat is via bitcoin donations, of which they’ve received around $14,800 ($1,900).
This, unfortunately, isn’t the first time BitPay has been implicated in the suspension of donations. Back in August, the processor blocked a $100,000 contribution to the charitable organization, Amazon Watch, all due to a volume limit.
Featured Image Credit: Photo via Pixabay