Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of opening a channel is 1.5%.

The cost is calculated as follows:

Cost = (Size) * (0.015)

Example: A 1M sats channel (0.01 BTC) would cost 15,000 sats.

The cost of opening a channel varies based on the node:

  • For AfricaFreeRouting, the fee is 1.5%.
  • For NigeriaFreeRouting, the fee is 1.25%.
  • For GhanaFreeRouting and KenyaFreeRouting, the fee is 1% each.

The cost is calculated as follows:

  • For AfricaFreeRouting: Cost = (Size) * (0.015)
  • For NigeriaFreeRouting: Cost = (Size) * (0.0125)
  • For GhanaFreeRouting and KenyaFreeRouting: Cost = (Size) * (0.01)

Example: A 1M sats channel (0.01 BTC) for AfricaFreeRouting would cost 15,000 sats, for NigeriaFreeRouting it would cost 12,500 sats, and for GhanaFreeRouting and KenyaFreeRouting, it would cost 10,000 sats.

For those looking to offer a professional routing service, we recommend a channel size between 5M and 20M, depending on the size of your other channels. The smallest channel we sell is 1M which is a more common size for hobbyists.

Absolutely. You have the freedom to drain it, disable it, set any fees, or close it again. Your not force-closing the channel is appreciated.

If a force-close happens on a channel you bought from us, we offer options: 

  1. Reopen a new channel to you for the on-chain fee of the force-closing transaction + 2,000 sats.
  2. Credit you the returned liquidity towards a new channel (at least 2M larger than returned liquidity).
  3. Reimburse 0.1% of the liquidity we get back.

Typically, channels are opened within 24 hours of payment confirmation. However, in scenarios where network fees are unusually high, there might be a delay until fees become reasonable. In such cases, rest assured that you will be promptly contacted to provide updates on the status of your channel. We prioritize transparency and communication to keep you informed throughout the process.

Yes, there is. You can cooperatively close your channel within 2,016 blocks of the funding transaction being confirmed (~2 weeks). Reach out to us via Twitter or Telegram (@FreeRoutingAf) to arrange a refund. Refunds are the purchasing price minus the fee for the liquidity that did not return on chain to us.

Typically, channels are opened within 24 hours of payment confirmation. However, in scenarios where network fees are unusually high, there might be a delay until fees become reasonable. In such cases, rest assured that you will be promptly contacted to provide updates on the status of your channel. We prioritize transparency and communication to keep you informed throughout the process.

We commit to keeping the channel open for a minimum of 90 days. After that period, we may:

  •  Ask for an additional liquidity fee to cover our capital costs for the next 90 days.
  •  Cooperatively close the channel if there’s little to no movement, benefiting both peers.
  •  Force-close the channel if your node is down for more than 14 consecutive days.