I do this. I just say "this will sound strange but my email is ..." and then spell it.

I think if you are at the level of catch-alls and your own domain(s) then you tell the cashier "no thanks!"

i have a similar setup for the past 20 years or so. I rarely get a raised eyebrow at giving X.yourcompany@mydomain.com, and if i do i state it upfront “this is for categorization” and never had to explain it again.

Zero problem. I have used this exact setup with my domain for over 23 years. First, it's rare that I had to give my email over the phone or something. And in the couple of times someone raised an eyebrow, it was an opportunity to educate the person that yes, "donotspamYOURCOMPANY@" is indeed a valid address (not exactly what I use, but similar).

The advantages are numerous: tracking who leaked my data (many times before the company even noticed it), easier to spot spam (20 years ago spam filters were a lot less sophisticated), minimize credential stuffing (before Pwd Managers became the norm), etc.

I have this same setup and this conversation happens often, you get used to it happening and navigating it.

ON only one occasion in ~20 years, someone refused to do business with me because they thought I was impersonating them and told me I was being disrespectful by using their brand as my email, and even after explaining how it works they weren't happy.

almartway@somedomain.com

Meh, it’s not that bad. I have a short domain and usually use an abbreviated version for user part. If it’s a big corp, just the stock ticker will suffice and nobody bats an eye. Some boomers raise an eye if it’s not @gmail.com or one of the big providers, but otherwise nobody cares.

But better than giving them an iCloud “hide my email” generated addy ;)