Question 1

How does PassportAlerts work?

Accepted Answer

PassportAlerts monitors the USPS Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler (RCAS) every few minutes for cancellations and newly available time slots at 3,100+ Post Offices nationwide. When an appointment opens near you, we send an instant notification so you can book it before it disappears.

Question 2

Is PassportAlerts affiliated with USPS?

Accepted Answer

No. PassportAlerts is an independent notification service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the United States Postal Service (USPS), the U.S. Department of State, or any government agency. We monitor publicly available appointment data and alert you when slots open. You book directly through USPS.

Question 3

How quickly will I be notified when an appointment opens?

Accepted Answer

Our system checks for new appointments every few minutes. SMS subscribers receive alerts within minutes of a slot opening. Email subscribers may experience slightly longer delivery times depending on their email provider.

Question 4

Does PassportAlerts book the appointment for me?

Accepted Answer

No. PassportAlerts is a notification-only service. When we detect an open appointment, we send you an alert with the location, date, time, and a direct link to the USPS scheduler so you can book it yourself.

Question 5

Is this legal?

Accepted Answer

PassportAlerts monitors publicly available appointment data from the USPS website — the same information anyone can see by visiting tools.usps.com. We don't access any private systems, bypass any login requirements, or store personal data from USPS.

Question 6

What if I miss an alert?

Accepted Answer

Passport appointments — especially cancellations — can get booked within minutes. We send alerts as fast as possible, but we can't guarantee a slot will still be available by the time you check. Pro subscribers get SMS alerts for the fastest possible notification.

Question 7

How fast do cancellations get taken?

Accepted Answer

It varies by location. In busy metros like New York or Los Angeles, a cancelled appointment can be rebooked within minutes. In smaller cities, slots may stay open for hours. The sooner you know about it, the better your chances.

Passport appointment guides

How Passport Appointment Alerts Work (And Why You Need One)