Short answer: It depends on how much your time is worth and how urgently you need an interview. Appointment alert services (paid monitoring) watch the CBP scheduler 24/7 and notify you the moment a slot opens at your chosen centers—so you don’t have to refresh the page yourself. Slots often disappear in seconds, so manual checking usually misses them. If you’d otherwise spend hours checking or if your conditional approval is expiring soon, paying for monitoring (e.g., a few months of alerts) can be worth it: you get notified when it matters and you book through the official site yourself. If you have lots of time and don’t mind checking often, you might not need it. See Using Automation to Find Global Entry Appointments and our guide hub.
What You’re Paying For
Paid monitoring = a service that checks the official CBP/Trusted Traveler scheduler for your selected enrollment centers and sends you an email (or similar) when an appointment becomes available. You still book on the official site—the service doesn’t book for you. It just tells you when to go book. So you’re paying for: 24/7 watching + instant notification, so you don’t have to guess when to check and you don’t miss openings that appear at 3 AM or midweek.
When It’s Usually Worth It
- Your time has value. If you’d otherwise spend many hours over weeks refreshing the scheduler, the cost of a few months of monitoring can be less than the value of your time.
- Your conditional approval is expiring soon. If you don’t get an interview before it expires, you have to reapply and pay the $100 fee again. Monitoring increases your chance of catching a cancellation in time.
- You’re in a busy market. At centers like JFK, LAX, MIA, the next available slot can be many months out. Cancellations are the main way to get something sooner—and they’re taken in seconds. Alerts give you a shot.
When You Might Skip It
If you’re not in a rush, you have an international trip soon and can use Enrollment on Arrival, or you’re willing to check the scheduler many times a day yourself, you may not need paid monitoring. It’s a convenience and a way to increase your chance of getting a slot—not a requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is paying for Global Entry monitoring services worth the cost?
For many applicants, yes: it saves time and increases the chance of catching a cancellation. Value depends on your time and urgency—e.g., expiring conditional approval or a trip coming up.
How much do appointment alert services cost?
Prices vary. Many offer a few months of monitoring for a flat fee. Compare with the $100 Global Entry fee and the cost of reapplying if your conditional approval expires.
✅ Key Takeaway
Paid monitoring is worth it when your time or urgency (e.g., expiring approval) makes catching a cancellation important. You get 24/7 alerts so you don’t have to guess when to check.