Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card

Rewards by category

Our take

The Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card earns a flat 1.67% on everything, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Before anything else: Fifth Third excludes applicants in some states, so check whether you are eligible before you spend time on an application. The odd rate is the point — it is deliberately pitched into the gap between the 1.5% flat-rate cards that are everywhere and the 2% flat-rate cards that sit above it.

Run the arithmetic and the gap is small in both directions. On $10,000 of unbonused spending a year, 1.5% pays $150, this card pays $167, and a 2% card pays $200. So it beats the common 1.5% card by about $17 a year and trails a 2% card by about $33. No annual fee on any of the three means those differences are the whole story — there is no fee to earn back, just a rate to compare. It does not lead any category in our rankings, because a flat rate loses to a category card everywhere a category card applies.

Carry this one if you already bank with Fifth Third and want the card in the same app as your checking, or if a 2% flat-rate card is out of reach for you right now. If you can get approved for 2%, get 2% — the 1.67% has no offsetting perk to make up the difference. The genuine bonus here is the zero foreign transaction fee: most 1.5% cards charge 3% abroad, which turns a $1,000 trip purchase into a $30 penalty against $15 of rewards, and this card simply does not do that. Rewards are plain cash back worth one cent, so keep it as the catch-all, put groceries, gas, and dining on whatever category cards you already hold, and let 1.67% quietly handle the leftovers.

Key benefits

• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

Common questions

Does Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card have an annual fee?

No — Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card has no annual fee.

What rewards does Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card earn on everything else?

1.67% on all other purchases, in Cash Back.

Is 1.67% cash back actually a good flat rate?

It is better than the 1.5% flat-rate cards most issuers offer and worse than the 2% ones. On $10,000 of spending that is about $17 more than 1.5% and about $33 less than 2% per year. With no annual fee anywhere in that comparison, the rate is the only thing that matters — so take the 2% card if you can get it.

Can anyone apply for the Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card?

No. Fifth Third excludes applicants in some states, so eligibility depends on where you live. Confirm that your state qualifies before you apply, since a declined application still leaves a hard inquiry on your credit report. If you already have a Fifth Third checking or savings account, you are almost certainly in the footprint.