Editor’s Rating
4.2 out of 5 rating 4.2 / 5
Opinions and ratings are our own. This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.
Pros
Cons
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Review Summary
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards is the 5th best credit card rewards program, according to WalletHub's latest comparison, receiving 87 points out of a possible 100. The Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards program features three credit cards, the Fifth Third Bank Cash/Back Credit Card, Fifth Third 1% Cash/Back Card and the Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card. While these cards are advertised as cash back cards, their rewards are distributed in the form of points redeemable for cash back, among other options.
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Review Scorecard
#4for Earning Policies
#4 for Redemption Policies
#1for Rewards Value per Point
#12for Eligibility & Transparency
Best Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Credit Cards
Fifth Third Bank only offers three rewards cards, the Fifth Third Bank Cash/Back Credit Card, Fifth Third 1% Cash/Back Card and the Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card. The Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card is only available to people who are Fifth Third Bank Preferred Banking clients.
Summary: Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Scores by Review Category
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Earning Policies | 28/30 |
| Redemption Policies | 14/20 |
| Rewards Value per Point | 30/30 |
| 15/20 | |
| OVERALL | 87/100 |
How to Earn Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards
Category Rating: 93% (28/30)
You will earn at least one point in return for every dollar you spend with a Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards credit card. Choosing the right credit card and using it strategically can enable you to earn even more points, and there’s no limit on how many points you can earn.
Noteworthy Features:
- Points don’t expire: As long as your account is open and in good standing, your points never expire.
Earning Restrictions to Watch Out For: The Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card, which offers the highest rewards earning rates, is only available to Fifth Third Bank Preferred Banking clients. A Preferred Banking membership requires you to open a Fifth Third Bank Preferred Checking account and have a total of at least $100,000 across all your Fifth Third deposit and investment accounts.
How to Redeem Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards
Category Rating: 70% (14/20)
The Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards program gives you three redemption options, which are cash back, travel and gift cards. All Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards redemption options offer the same value for your rewards. Therefore, the best redemption method depends on your individual spending habits and what you want to get in exchange for your rewards. Below, you can learn more about each of the Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards redemption options.
Gift Cards
You can use your points to get gift cards from a variety of popular retailers.
Cash Back
You can redeem for cash back rewards by getting a check, a statement credit, an electronic deposit to a Fifth Third Bank checking or savings account, or a payment on a Fifth Third Bank mortgage, installment loan, or line of credit.
Travel
You can redeem your points to pay for airline tickets and fees through your online account. Unfortunately, you cannot redeem for other types of travel.
Redemption Restrictions to Watch Out For:
- Limited travel redemption: There is no option to redeem points for hotel stays or car rentals. You can only redeem them for airline tickets and fees.
- No transfer partners: Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards does not offer the ability to transfer points to other companies’ loyalty programs.
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Value per Point
Category Rating: 100% (30/30)
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards points are worth 1 cent each. Cardholders earn 1.67 to 2 points per $1 spent, depending on the card.
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Redemption Value
| Redemption Options | Value of 1 point |
|---|---|
| Travel | |
| Airline tickets and fees | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
| Cash Back | |
| Statement Credit | 1 cent |
| Check | 1 cent |
| Payment on Fifth Third Savings Account Redemption | 1 cent |
| Payment on Fifth Third Bank Mortgage Auto - Redemption | 1 cent |
| Electronic deposit to Fifth Third Bank checking/savings account | 1 cent |
| Payment on Fifth Third Bank mortgage, installment loan, or line of credit | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
| Gift Cards | |
| Various gift cards | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Fifth Third Mortgage, Installment Loan, or Line of Credit Redemption | 1 cent |
| Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Eligibility & Transparency
Category Rating: 75% (15/20)
Fifth Third Bank only offers three rewards cards, the Fifth Third Bank Cash/Back Credit Card, Fifth Third 1% Cash/Back Card and the Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card. Both cards participate in the Real Life Rewards program.
Discontinued Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Cards
Fifth Third Bank has discontinued some of its Real Life Rewards credit card offers over the years. While some people may still have these cards, they’re not available to new applicants and were not factored into scoring.
- TRIO® Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank
- Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Credit Card
- Stand Up To Cancer® Credit Card
- Fifth Third Bank Business Rewards Card
- Fifth Third Equity Flexline® Card
Popular Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Credit Cards
| Fifth Third Bank Cash/Back Credit Card | Fifth Third 1% Cash/Back Card | Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card |
|---|---|---|
3.6WalletHub Rating WalletHub Rating 3.6 This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Earn Rewards." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs. Market Comparison 3.6 fees: 5.0 rewards: 3.0 cost: 3.8 Other Features: 0.0 | 3.7WalletHub Rating WalletHub Rating 3.7 This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Finance New Purchases." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs. Market Comparison 3.7 fees: 5.0 rewards: 3.3 cost: 3.4 APR: 3.8 | 4.1WalletHub Rating WalletHub Rating 4.1 This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Earn Rewards." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs. Market Comparison 4.1 fees: 5.0 rewards: 3.4 cost: 4.6 Other Features: 0.0 |
(0) | (2) | (0) |
annual fee$0 | annual fee$0 | annual fee$0 |
Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APR0% for 15 months | Purchase Intro APRN/A |
transfer intro apr0% for 12 months | transfer intro apr0% for 15 months | transfer intro apr0% for 12 months |
Regular APR20.74% - 29.99% (V) | Regular APR20.24% - 29.99% (V) | Regular APR20.74% - 29.99% (V) |
rewards rate
1.67 points / $1 | rewards rate
1% Cash Back | rewards rate
2 points / $1 |
bonus offer N/A | bonus offer N/A | bonus offer N/A |
Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
For more information, check out the best Fifth Third Bank credit cards on WalletHub.
4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards
- Redeem regularly
The whole point of earning credit card rewards is to enjoy the savings they provide. If you just leave your points sitting in your account unused, they won’t do you much good.
- Pay your bill on time every month
Your points won’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. In other words, you have nothing to worry about if you pay your monthly bills on time.
- Pay your bill in full every month
Paying interest at a credit card’s regular APR will end up costing you more than rewards save you. Paying in full monthly allows you to avoid interest charges. - Redeem before closing your account
You will lose any points left unredeemed when you close your account
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards vs. Bank of America Cash Back Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards
| Category | Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards | Bank of America Cash Back Rewards | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| WalletHub Rank | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Average Point/Point Value | 1 cent | $1 in rewards = $1 | 1.03 cents |
| Redemption Options Rank | 4 | 9 | 3 |
| Notable Rewards Card | Fifth Third Bank Cash/Back Credit Card | Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Review Methodology
This review of Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards is based on the same methodology as WalletHub’s annual study on the Best Credit Card Rewards Programs. Editor’s ratings reflect the sum of each program’s scores across the study’s four major categories, adjusted to a 5-point scale to create a representative distribution of ratings. The four major categories considered were: Earning Policies, Redemption Policies, Rewards Value per $1 Spent and Eligibility & Transparency.
WalletHub calculated point values for Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards by comparing the dollar value of redemption items against the number of points needed for each.
Was this article helpful?
Important Disclosures
Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers. For full transparency, here is a list of our current advertisers.
Advertising impacts how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear and their prevalence). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.
Advertising enables WalletHub to provide you proprietary tools, services, and content at no charge. Advertising does not impact WalletHub's editorial content including our best picks, reviews, ratings and opinions. Those are completely independent and not provided, commissioned, or endorsed by any company, as our editors follow a strict editorial policy.
WalletHub is not a financial advisor. Our goal is to provide you with top-notch content, data, and tools. You are responsible for deciding what financial products and providers are best for your needs.
Irrespective of whether an institution or professional is a paid advertiser, the presence of information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsem*nt of the institution or professional by us or vice versa.
We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. Actual terms may vary. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.
* The information about the following cards has been independently collected by WalletHub: Fifth Third Bank Business Rewards Card, TRIO® Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank, Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card, Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card, Fifth Third 1% Cash/Back Card, Fifth Third Bank Cash/Back Credit Card, Fifth Third Bank Real Life Rewards Credit Card, and Stand Up To Cancer® Credit Card.
