For a merchant, it's generally best to use an existing Cashu mint rather than running your own.

Existing Mint: Simpler, less technical overhead, no need to manage liquidity or security of a Bitcoin node.

Your Own Mint: Requires technical expertise, managing a Lightning node, and being responsible for user funds.

Yes, you will need a Cashu wallet. This is where you'll hold your ecash tokens from the mint and interact with customers. Many wallets (like Zeus, Minibits, or Cashu.me) can connect to multiple mints