I don't know about alternatives, but I noticed that when I hooked up my Amex to Apple Pay, every transaction shows up as a push notification on my iPhone, nearly instantly.
I believe this is the case with any credit card placed into an Apple Wallet for Apple Pay, regardless of the card issuer. Every charge initiates a notification.
I found this useful when I was wondering about a charge that I wasn't expecting pop up. I logged into the card issuer's online portal and found that it was something I care about, but simply forgot it was pending. Though if it was a fraudulent charge, I could've just gave them a ring. It certain can help in noticing fraudulent transactions in a much shorter time frame than simply waiting for a statement.
That hasn't been the case for me. I get ApplePay notifications for every POS charge for my Amex Platinum even if it's not via ApplePay. But I have cards from Chase, Citi, and Bank of America in ApplePay as well, and I only get notifications if it's an ApplePay transaction. I wish they all did it the way Amex does.
Edit: Actually, I mis-remembered. Internet charges on the Amex do cause a notification. But not for any of the other cards.
I found these alerts really useful. I spotted a random travel site charge and thought maybe my wife had reserved a hotel for an upcoming trip. The next day I saw two more alerts on my phone and called Amex. Yep, fraud, new card issued now. Amex thanked me for keeping a close eye on the charges. I guess they realize it helps them catch/prevent fraudsters too.
I found this useful when I was wondering about a charge that I wasn't expecting pop up. I logged into the card issuer's online portal and found that it was something I care about, but simply forgot it was pending. Though if it was a fraudulent charge, I could've just gave them a ring. It certain can help in noticing fraudulent transactions in a much shorter time frame than simply waiting for a statement.