Fifth Third Bank Credit Cards & Rewards Program [2023]

Fifth Third Bank is a publicly-traded, full-service bank with around $170 billion in total assets.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, this subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp is one of the largest banks in the Midwest, operating more than 1,000 branches and 2,500 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina.

In this article, we’ll give you the lowdown on all of Fifth Third Bank’s credit cards, rewards, and more.

What Is Real Life Rewards?

Fifth Third Bank’s rewards program is called Real Life Rewards. The points you earn and redeem are called Fifth Third Bank points, and they’re redeemed through the Real Life Rewards program.

This bank exclusively uses the Mastercard payment network for credit cards and debit cards, which is great news for card acceptance.

Depending on which credit card you have, your rewards points will expire 3 years after accrual or not at all.

Your points may also be forfeited immediately if your account is closed for any reason.

Fifth Third Bank Rewards Credit Cards

Today we’re going to take a look at 4 of the major rewards credit cards available through Fifth Third Bank. All of these cards earn Fifth Third Bank points, and each of them has its benefits and drawbacks.

Fifth Third Preferred Cash/Back Card

The Fifth Third Preferred Cash/Back card is one of the bank’s most popular credit cards.

It doesn’t currently offer a welcome bonus, and it’s available exclusively for those with Fifth Third Preferred Banking accounts ($100,000 in assets or deposits).

With this credit card, you’ll earn an unlimited 2% cash-back on all purchases.

This card boasts cell phone protection insurance, protection against unauthorized purchases, Mastercard travel support services, digital wallets, and no foreign transaction fees.

There is no annual fee on this card, and your points will not expire.

Hot Tip: Learn more about how the cash-back and rewards cards from Fifth Third Bank compare to the best credit cards for cash-back and travel rewards in our helpful guides.

Fifth Third Cash/Back Card

The Fifth Third Cash/Back card is a step down from the Fifth Third Preferred Cash/Back card above. You don’t need to have a Preferred Banking account open to get this card — any eligible Fifth Third checking or savings account will do.

This credit card doesn’t have a welcome bonus, either, but what it does have is the ability to earn 1.67% cash-back on every purchase with no cap.

You’ll enjoy cell phone insurance, zero liability protection, Mastercard travel services, no foreign transaction fees, and digital wallets.

This card has no annual fee, and your points will not expire.

Fifth Third Simply Business™ Card

The Fifth Third Simply Business card is our sole business credit card option, though it’s not currently available to new applicants.

Those who have this card, though, will earn 1.67 points per $1 spent with no caps. These points do not expire, either.

In addition, you’ll enjoy solid Mastercard benefits, including receipt management, digital merchant offers, ID theft protection, credit monitoring, car rental insurance, extended warranty, and much more.

This card has no annual fee.

Fifth Third Private Bank Card

The Fifth Third Private Bank card is exclusively available to Fifth Third Bank’s Private Bank clients. You need a minimum of $1 million in assets to open a Private Banking account.

This credit card earns 2 points per $1 spent on all purchases, has a lower APR for purchases and balance transfers, and a variety of travel benefits.

This card offers TPC Private Club access, a 24/7 personal travel advisor, and access to Mastercard World Elite benefits.

You’ll get purchase assurance coverage, cell phone insurance, digital payments, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation coverage, lost or delayed baggage insurance, and more.

This card has no foreign transaction fee, and its $300 annual fee is waived for Fifth Third Bank Private Bank clients.

How To Redeem Fifth Third Rewards

You can redeem your Fifth Third Bank points in a number of ways:

Regardless of how you redeem your points, you’ll get a flat redemption value of 1 cent per point.

Hot Tip: The only exception to the flat 1 cent redemption rate is you can use fewer points on some specially-priced gift cards if you’re a Private Bank client with a Fifth Third Private Bank card.

Depending on how you redeem points, you can expect differing timelines for when those transactions will process.

If you get a check issued, the check will be valid for 90 days. If you redeem for a statement credit, it will process in 1 to 2 weeks.

Payments toward a Fifth Third mortgage, installment loan, or line of credit will be processed in 1 to 2 weeks.

Auto-redemptions into your Fifth Third checking or savings account occur when your balance reaches 2,500 points — at that point, $25 will be applied to your Fifth Third account within 14 days. If you redeem your rewards into a Fifth Third savings account, it’ll also take 1 to 2 weeks.

You must also have had your card account open for at least 48 hours before initiating any redemptions.

To redeem your rewards, simply log into your Fifth Third Bank account and use the online portal to access the Rewards Servicing Center. Click Real Life Rewards, and then you’ll be taken to the portal where you can choose your desired redemption option.

You can also call the Rewards Service Center between Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (EST) at 800-449-2142.

Final Thoughts

Fifth Third Bank doesn’t offer a captivating rewards program.

Even if you are a member of its Private Bank, you’ll only get a maximum of 2% in rewards.

You’ll earn points, but in the vast majority of cases, you’ll only get a fixed 1 cent per point of value, whether you’re booking travel, getting cash-back, or redeeming for gift cards.

For this reason, we can’t recommend having Fifth Third Bank cards if you are looking for outsized value from your rewards.

The information regarding the Fifth Third Preferred Cash/Back Card, Fifth Third Cash/Back Credit Card, Fifth Third Simply Business™ Card, and Fifth Third Private Bank Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.