Ya any one that accepts lightning payment. Just pay with your ecash wallet

wouldn't the vendor need to be setup with an ecash wallet as well? i realize that mints can send out LN payments, but then that would not be buying with ecash, that would just be a standard lightning payment, right?

They do. But you sending out from the mint is what makes it private. You are simply telling the mint to make that payment for you.

okay, that's interesting. is a mint making a lightning payment any different than another custodial lightning wallet service? to me, I have been thinking that one of the greatest advantages to ecash is that it solves the "no path" failures typical of lightning. ecash sent between Alice and Bob, both members of the same mint, doesn't even touch ln network right?

Correct about alice and bob And yes the mint makes a lightning payment

(not lightning payments sent by mints). I'm talking nuts for value!