To be able to send BTC through Lightning to another user, without opening a direct channel to them, you need to utilize routing.
'Routing' in this context means that a Lightning node operator receives a payment from your node through one channel and simultaneously sends a payment of the same amount out through a different channel. Chain that as many times as required until the intended receiver got the money and you've got a Lightning payment.
Since we provide a service which requires an always running computer and funds stored in channels (hot wallets), we have costs and provide value; therefore we can choose to ask users for fees in return for routing their payments. Their wallet can / should try to find the cheapest routes, but usually you do need to pay a few sats per payment to reach a 'far' (many hops) destination.
Can you "cash out" bitcoins received via Lighting Network without closing the channel?
No. All Bitcoin locked in LN can only be transacted offchain using the channel balance. The only way to cash out is to close the channel. This is because there are only 2 transactions hitting the blockchain. The one used to open the channel and the one used to close the channel. All intermediary transactions will happen inside the channel without ever touching the blockchain.
By cash out, I understand to convert Bitcoin back to fiat!
To be able to send BTC through Lightning to another user, without opening a direct channel to them, you need to utilize routing.
'Routing' in this context means that a Lightning node operator receives a payment from your node through one channel and simultaneously sends a payment of the same amount out through a different channel. Chain that as many times as required until the intended receiver got the money and you've got a Lightning payment.
Since we provide a service which requires an always running computer and funds stored in channels (hot wallets), we have costs and provide value; therefore we can choose to ask users for fees in return for routing their payments. Their wallet can / should try to find the cheapest routes, but usually you do need to pay a few sats per payment to reach a 'far' (many hops) destination.
How long can you leave the LN channel open? As far as I know, when you use LN, you only pay traditional mempool fees when you close the channel and I was wondering, what if I don't close the channel (Will it close automatically?), will I still be able to cash out my coins?
Btw how much do you charge? Do you have a certain ratio, like, charge 1/10 of mempool fees?
LN channels can be open as long as the 2 peers want. This is the short answer.
Channels don't close on their own unless one or two very specific scenarios. Force closes / unilateral closes or a situation where a peer tries to cheat the other. Can't remember other situations where you can get channels closed without you requesting so.
About the fees:
You have 2 scenarios:
onchain (Bitcoin transactions) and
offchain (LN transactions).
Regarding fees, you also have 2 scenarios: onchain fees or network fees and offline fees or routing fees or payment fees or whatever you want to call it.
Online fees depends on a few factors, for instance the size of the transaction, the mempool congestion (meaning that the more transactions in the mempool, higher the fees will become). Onchain transactions also kinda obeys to free market rules. So, they can be higher today, lower tomorrow, etc, depening on the demand!
Offline fees or the fees in the LN depends also on a few factors such as the length of the path chosen and the fee settings of each routing node! But this is an whole other chapter! You also need to DYOR!
Once more, you can only cash out Bitcoin back to fiat of online transactions. A channel open must be closed so that you can cash out the Bitcoin once locked in that channel!