OpenTable Notify Me: How It Works and What to Use Instead
Notify Me is OpenTable's built-in alert for booked-up times. Here is how it works, who gets alerts first, and which services also watch OpenTable.
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Facts about OpenTable and other services checked October 1, 2026 against their own sites. Disclosure: ReservationFinder publishes this guide and sells the alert service compared here.
The short answer
- Notify Me is built into the free OpenTable app and sends a push notification when a booked-up time opens.
- In the U.S., diners with OpenTable Gold status get Priority Notify Me and hear about last-minute openings earlier.
- An alert never holds the table. If you keep missing openings, add a service that watches OpenTable for you and alerts you by email or text.
We run one: ReservationFinder OpenTable alerts. The table below compares it with Notify Me and other services.
How OpenTable Notify Me works
- Open a restaurant in the OpenTable app.
- If your time is not shown, tap Notify Me and add your date, time and party size.
- If a table opens, OpenTable sends a push notification. Tap it to book.
- If another diner books it first, you get another alert when more spots open.
Source: OpenTable, “Notify Me”, checked October 1, 2026.
Priority Notify Me for Gold diners
OpenTable's Gold Tables announcement of July 8, 2026 lists Priority Notify Me as a U.S. benefit of Gold status. You reach Gold after six OpenTable reservations in 12 months. Gold diners who use Notify Me are alerted to last-minute openings earlier than other diners.
So if you are not Gold, other diners may hear about a last-minute opening before you do.
Source: OpenTable Gold Tables announcement, checked October 1, 2026.
Why you can still miss the table
- The alert is a push notification. If notifications are off or you are busy, the table can go first.
- Other diners can book the opening before you, and Gold diners hear about last-minute openings earlier.
- It only covers OpenTable. Restaurants on Resy, Tock or SevenRooms need their own alerts.
OpenTable Notify Me alternatives compared
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Service | Price | Platforms | Alerts by | Books for you? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReservationFinderOur service | Basic $9.99/mo (4 restaurants), Pro $19.99/mo (10, plus SMS and city alerts). 7-day free trial: card required, $0 today. | Resy, OpenTable, Tock, SevenRooms | Email and iPhone push; SMS on Pro | No. Each alert links you to book |
| OpenTable Notify MeChecked October 1, 2026 | Built into the free OpenTable app | OpenTable only | Push notification | No. Tap the alert and book it yourself |
| Table AlertChecked October 1, 2026 | Essential $5/mo (5 restaurants), Standard $9/mo (20), Pro $19/mo (unlimited). Yearly: $48, $84 or $189. Home page offers a refund if you get no alert in 30 days. | Resy, OpenTable, Tock, SevenRooms, Omakase, TableCheck and others. Lists restaurants in New York, California, Japan, Europe and elsewhere | Email on every plan; push and SMS on Pro | No. Sends a booking link with the slot filled in; you confirm |
| TableOneChecked October 1, 2026 | $18/month or $129/year | Resy, OpenTable, Tock, SevenRooms | Push notifications (iPhone app) | No. You book on the official platform |
| TableSwapChecked October 1, 2026 | $15/month, 7-day free trial, no per-booking fee | Resy, OpenTable, SevenRooms. New York City only | iMessage | Optional auto-book |
Each row links the page we checked. Prices and features change, so confirm on the service's site.
Which one fits
- Notify Me: keep it on for every OpenTable restaurant you want. It comes with the free app.
- ReservationFinder: one list for OpenTable, Resy, Tock and SevenRooms, with email alerts, or texts on Pro.
- Table Alert: also lists Omakase and TableCheck, and restaurants in Japan and Europe.
- TableOne: push alerts in an iPhone app.
- TableSwap: New York City only, over iMessage, with optional auto-booking.
OpenTable restaurants we monitor
Get OpenTable alerts by email or text
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does OpenTable Notify Me work?
In the OpenTable app, open a restaurant and tap Notify Me when the time you want is booked. Add your date, time and party size. If a table opens, OpenTable sends a push notification and you tap it to book.
What is OpenTable Priority Notify Me?
It is a U.S. benefit of OpenTable Gold status, which you reach after six OpenTable reservations in 12 months. Gold diners with Notify Me on are alerted to last-minute openings earlier than other diners (OpenTable, checked October 1, 2026).
Does a Notify Me alert hold the table for me?
No. OpenTable says that if another diner books the table first, you get another alert if more spots open. An alert from any service tells you a table is open; it does not reserve it.
Is Notify Me the same as the OpenTable waitlist?
No. OpenTable's terms describe its waitlist as a place in line with an estimated wait (checked October 1, 2026). Notify Me is an alert you set in the app when the time you want is already booked.
Can I use ReservationFinder and Notify Me together?
Yes. Keep Notify Me on and add the restaurant in ReservationFinder. You will hear from whichever sees the opening first, and you book on OpenTable either way.
Does ReservationFinder book the table for me?
No. ReservationFinder watches OpenTable, Resy, Tock and SevenRooms and alerts you with a link. You complete the booking on the restaurant's platform.