ProtonMail for vendor communications
ProtonMail's decent but I agree it's no substitute for vetting properly. On the payment side I'd say watching litecoin network fees can save you a fair bit compared to BTC when they spike, if the vendor takes it. That Bitcoin transaction ID habit is the right one though, keep everything documented. And yeah, I'd steer clear of using exchange wallets for vendor payments in general, not just Coinbase.
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I've used ProtonMail for a while, it's fine but doesn't replace doing your homework on whoever you're dealing with. Honestly the bigger headache is payment - I stick to paying with BTC and always grab the bitcoin transaction ID so there's proof if anything goes sideways.
Personally I don't touch Zelle or Western Union, too easy to get burned.
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Switched from my regular email to ProtonMail for all vendor-related communications about a year ago. Here is what the practical difference looks like and where ProtonMail actually helps.
What ProtonMail provides
ProtonMail is an end-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland. Emails between ProtonMail accounts are encrypted such that Proton cannot read them. Emails between ProtonMail and regular email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) are encrypted in transit but stored unencrypted at the recipient's end — the same as normal email.
The key protection ProtonMail provides is that your email account is not connected to your real identity the way a Google or Microsoft account typically is. You register with an email address and password, no phone number required, no recovery email required. Your IP address is not logged with your account if you use their onion service or access it through a VPN.
What it does not protect against
If the vendor's email provider logs your communications or the vendor themselves is compromised, your message content is exposed regardless of which email service you use. ProtonMail protects the account from being attributed to you; it does not protect the content of communications from the recipient.
Practical setup
Create a ProtonMail account without providing real personal information. Use a unique username unrelated to any of your other accounts. Access it through a VPN to prevent your IP from being associated with the account. Use this email address exclusively for vendor-related communication — no other accounts, no personal subscriptions.
Vendors respond to ProtonMail addresses the same as any other email. There is no friction for them. For you, the separation means that even if a vendor's customer data is exposed, the email address traced back to your communications cannot be linked to your primary online identity.
The additional step worth taking with a Protonmail account is enabling two-factor authentication and using a recovery email that is also a privacy-focused address. Losing access to a vendor communication email because of a password incident or device loss can complicate order resolution significantly. A well-secured email account dedicated to these communications is as important as the privacy properties of the provider itself.