Why would it be user hostile …
Discussion
First, all Cashu devs I'm connected with say their code/service is experimental and to only use small amounts that you don't mind losing to unknown defects.
So Shopstr is based on a (currently) non-working system.
Then, it seems, this Cashu requirement isn't communicated to the user at all, when it should be stated before they list an item.
In fact, everything that is required of the user to complete a purchase should be communicated before they make a listing.
If I made a sale, and found out that I received Cashu, I would be totally pissed off. My experience with Cashu is limited, but I couldn't convert to sats. Screw that.
Cashu is used in order to not have to download an external app or set up a lightning address yourself. It’s great for offline payments, it’s private, and it’s simple to convert to sats (copy and paste mint url into a wallet like nutstash, which only needs to be done once, copy paste the token, and redeem with lightning).
I completely agree that the experience can be more streamlined. We’re working on building a wallet and one-click redemption to easily redeem received tokens with lightning. We’re also going to add different payment methods so Cashu isn’t necessary for new users to learn.
That's all well and good, but communication of how your system works, prior to a user attempting a transaction, is imperative.
My experience converting cashu to sats is that I was not able to. Copy, paste, and wait as nothing transpires is a failure in basic functionality. When I asked about how to remedy the situation devs shrugged their shoulders. The lesson there for me is that it's not time to slice the cake and serve it, because it's still in the oven.