AppointmentTrader vs Table Alert
AppointmentTrader is a marketplace where people trade reservations. Table Alert is an alert service. A factual grid, plus New York's reservation law.
- Sourced from its own pages
- Bill text cited
- AppointmentTrader
- Buyers set a reward, a seller or concierge fills it, and payment is held until the booking is confirmed.
- Table Alert
- We alert you when a table opens. You book directly with the restaurant. We never book, hold or resell.
- New York law
- New York's 2024 Act bars third-party reservation services from listing or selling a restaurant's reservations without the restaurant's written agreement.
AppointmentTrader and Table Alert at a glance
AppointmentTrader facts are from appointmenttrader.com (snapshot 2026-11-12). Table Alert facts are our own.
| AppointmentTrader | Table Alert | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A marketplace for reservations, tickets, tee times and other appointments | An alert service. Alerts you; you book it yourself. We never book, hold or resell a table. |
| Who it is for | People who want a specific booking and will pay another person for it, and people who hold a booking they cannot use | People who want to book a restaurant's own table when one opens |
| How you pay | A reward you set; bids rise by 5%, rounded up to the nearest $5; payment held in escrow until the booking is confirmed | Plans from $5 a month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Fees | Its terms mention posting, account verification and payout processing fees; no amounts on the pages we read | No per-table fee |
| Cities | Its site lists New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, Chicago, London, Paris, Dubai, Tokyo and Singapore | New York, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Seoul, London, Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Bangkok, San Francisco and more |
| Platforms | Any booking a seller holds; no platform list | Resy, OpenTable, Tock, SevenRooms, DoorDash reservations, TableCheck, OMAKASE, Pocket Concierge, CatchTable, CoverManager and more |
| Where the booking is made | By a seller or concierge, then transferred to you | By you, on the restaurant's own platform |
| If it falls through | Its page says full refund | Nothing is held, so nothing to refund; 30-day money-back guarantee on the plan |
| Alerts | Not its model: you post a request or buy a listing | Email, SMS, WhatsApp and push |
What AppointmentTrader does that Table Alert does not
- A buyer can obtain a specific table and time from a seller who already holds it, without waiting for an opening.
- A person who holds a booking they cannot use can list it. Its page says to list it instead of paying a no-show fee.
- Buyers can post a request for a concierge to fill.
What Table Alert does that AppointmentTrader does not
- You book on the restaurant's own platform, directly, on the restaurant's own terms. No second party sits between you and the restaurant.
- You pay a plan, not a price per table, and not a reward set by bidding.
- We alert by email, SMS, WhatsApp and push when a table opens, and our restaurant guides with measured data show how many days a table was open and how long it lasted.
New York's Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act
New York enacted the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act as Senate bill S9365A and Assembly bill A10215A. Governor Hochul signed it on December 19, 2024 (Chapter 601). It adds section 391-w to the General Business Law.
The bill says it takes effect on the sixtieth day after it became law. December 19, 2024 plus 60 days is February 17, 2025.
Section 391-w(1) defines a third-party restaurant reservation service as a website, app or other internet service that offers or arranges reservations at a food service establishment and is owned and operated by someone other than the establishment's owner.
Section 391-w(2) says such a service shall not list, advertise, promote or sell reservations for an establishment through its platform without a written agreement with that establishment to include its reservations. A service with that written agreement is within the rule's permitted case.
Section 391-w(3) sets a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation, accruing for each day and each establishment, in a proceeding that may be brought within any state agency designated to conduct such proceedings. It also refers to restitution.
The versions differ on private suits. The bill as first introduced (S9365 and A10215) had a section 391-w(5): a person charged fees for an unauthorized listing, or the restaurant, could sue for an injunction, actual damages capped at the fees collected, and attorneys' fees.
The amended text (S9365-A, A10215-A) has section 391-w(1) to (3) and no such action. Check the chaptered text.
This is a plain summary, not legal advice. Whether a given service or listing falls inside the Act depends on its agreements with restaurants, which we have not seen. The AppointmentTrader pages we read do not say how it applies the Act. Table Alert does not list, advertise or sell reservations.
Which to choose when
- Choose AppointmentTrader if you need a specific date and time you cannot get otherwise and you are willing to pay a price the market sets. Check the restaurant's own policy and the law where it is.
- Choose Table Alert if you would rather book the restaurant's regular table directly and are willing to watch for an opening.
- They can run together: an alert costs you no per-table price.
How it works
Set it once.
We refresh so you don’t have to.
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Add a restaurant
Pick your restaurant and set your preferences.
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We track it nonstop
We re-check every few seconds — cancellations, no-shows, and fresh drops.
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You get the alert
Push, SMS, or email the instant a table opens. One tap to book.
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Reviews
The table they thought was impossible.
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Lifesaver service for booking difficult reservations
“Been looking for something like this for years, so glad I finally found it. It actually works — I just set up my alerts and wait for them to ping me. Already more than paid for itself with the couple of reservations I’ve managed to get this month alone.”
Ally UK · Booked restaurants in Tokyo -
Table Alert is great!!
“I got a reservation at Somni — 3 Michelin stars, booked up until forever — within a week of setting my alert. And Jacob is super responsive and friendly. What a gift to diners!”
Jordan C.
US · Booked Somni, West Hollywood
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Table Alert is a total game changer
“Table Alert is a total game changer. I love the interface and integration with so many different reservations platforms. It makes planning travel significantly easier.”
Jerry
US · Booked restaurants in Tokyo
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Excellent app
“Works very well! I was able to snag very difficult reservations. Issues are fixed and addressed immediately!”
Ryan US · Booked n/naka, Los Angeles -
Excellent and highly useful app!
“Excellent and highly useful app! Have been on it only for a few days and have already secured a booking to a world-famous restaurant.”
Rick US · Booked Disfrutar, Barcelona -
Booked 2 restaurants in Korea on short notice
“Was able to book 2 restaurants in Korea on short notice during my trip. Also got myself a Disfrutar booking for September. Thanks to the creator of the app!”
Alexander G.
UK · Booked Kwonsooksoo, Seoul
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Pricing
Costs less than a single drink.
Alerts within 30 seconds. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pro
No limits. Every restaurant, everywhere.
Billed as $189/year
Standard
More restaurants. More control.
Billed as $84/year
Essential
For the restaurants you can't stop thinking about.
Billed as $48/year
No alert within 30 days? Full refund, no questions asked.
FAQ
AppointmentTrader vs Table Alert: questions people ask
Its site describes a marketplace for impossible reservations, tickets, tee times and other appointments. Buyers set a reward, a seller or concierge accepts, and payment is held in escrow until the booking is confirmed.
Its pages describe a buyer-set reward with bids rising by 5%, plus platform fees named in its terms: posting, account verification and payout processing. We found no amounts for those fees on the pages we read.
Per section 391-w(2) of the bill text, a third-party reservation service may not list, advertise, promote or sell a restaurant's reservations without a written agreement with the restaurant. Section 391-w(3) sets civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, per day, per establishment.
The bill takes effect on the sixtieth day after it became law. Governor Hochul signed it on December 19, 2024; 60 days later is February 17, 2025. Check the statute and the governor's release.
We do not list, advertise or sell reservations; whether the Act covers a given service is a legal question, and this is not legal advice.
Yes. They do not conflict. An alert costs no per-table price, so you can set one on a restaurant while you also look at marketplace listings.
No. Table Alert alerts you by email, SMS, WhatsApp or push when a table opens, and you book it yourself on the restaurant's own booking page. We never book, hold or resell a table.
No alert within your first 30 days? Cancel and send us an email. We'll refund you in full — no questions asked.
Yes. Cancel from your account settings at any time. You'll keep access until your subscription expires.
62,198+ restaurants across Resy, Omakase, Tock, SevenRooms, OpenTable, TableCheck, and more — including the hardest tables in Tokyo, New York, Paris, and beyond. Search here to see if we cover yours.
Sources and how this page is made
Written by Jacob, founder of Table Alert. Facts checked against the sources below on November 12, 2026 and re-checked every night, last on . The monitoring numbers are Table Alert's own, refreshed every night. Out of date? Tell us.
- AppointmentTrader: how it works
- AppointmentTrader home page: cities and bidding
- AppointmentTrader: terms
- New York Senate: S9365-A as signed, printed text (PDF)
- New York Senate: S9365 as first introduced, printed text (PDF)
- Governor Hochul's release, December 19, 2024 (names S.9365A/A.10215A)
- Holland & Knight blog, February 10, 2025: the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act
- Table Alert: the restaurants we watch, with measured data
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