With all due respect, WAY too much time and energy. Balancing a checkbook (if that’s still a thing) and reconciling a monthly credit card statement should NOT take so much time. Check the receipt for date and amount, confirm vendor if name unfamiliar, 2-3 seconds. If that doesn’t result in recognition of a valid charge and it’s not a known automatic/recurring charge, DONE. Dispute charge by call or online, let the issuer do all the work.

I don’t know the statistics, but it’s reasonable to expect that if YOU see a bogus charge it’s probably the tip of an iceberg, the dishonest vendor is probably processing MANY other bogus charges, only way they’re going to make any money. Although I’m also unsure of the issuer’s threshold for disputes for individual vendors.

YOU shouldn’t have to waste YOUR time because someone else is corrupt and/or dishonest, that’s the issuer’s job and part of the reason the issuer gets paid. It’s inappropriate when someone else’s mistake creates more work for another person (they should fix their own mistakes), it’s completely unreasonable when someone else’s malicious behavior wastes another person’s time and energy (I’m actually very good at wasting my own time and energy ).