If you’ve been meaning to switch banks anyway, Fifth Third just made it a lot more worth your while. The bank is currently offering a cash bonus of up to $400 when you open a new Fifth Third Essential checking account — and the requirements to earn it are pretty straightforward.
What’s the Deal?
Fifth Third Bank is running a checking account bonus promotion for new customers across 14 states: California, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. Open a new Fifth Third Essential checking account, set up a qualifying direct deposit, and you’re in line for a cash bonus.
One detail worth knowing: the bonus amount is listed as $350 in some places and $400 in others, so verify the exact offer on Fifth Third’s site or through Doctor of Credit before you apply — the current promotion page will have the confirmed figure.
The good news? This is a soft pull, meaning applying won’t ding your credit score. That’s a meaningful perk for anyone who’s been cautious about opening new accounts.
Who Should Jump on This?
This deal is tailor-made for a few types of people:
- Direct deposit users: If your paycheck already lands in a bank account, routing it to Fifth Third temporarily is often all it takes to unlock the bonus. Once you’ve earned it, you can reassess whether to keep the account.
- Bank bonus hunters: If you’ve already snagged the Busey Bank $500 offer we covered recently, this is a solid next move — different bank, different states, same general playbook.
- Families looking to pad the summer budget: A few hundred dollars extra heading into summer travel and back-to-school season isn’t nothing. This kind of bonus can cover a weekend trip or a chunk of school supplies.
- People in the South and Midwest: With FL, GA, NC, TN, AL, and SC all included, this is one of the better-targeted regional bank bonuses we’ve seen in a while.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
- Direct deposit is required — passive savers who don’t use direct deposit will need to set one up or may not qualify.
- No credit card funding — you can’t fund the account with a credit card, so plan on a bank transfer or other method.
- Verify the bonus amount before applying. The $350 vs. $400 discrepancy is worth a quick check on the actual offer page.
- Account fees: The Essential checking account may carry a monthly fee if minimum requirements aren’t met. Read the fine print so you’re not surprised after the bonus posts.
- Expiration: No hard end date is confirmed in the available data, but bank bonuses like this can disappear quickly — don’t sit on it.
How to Get Started
Head to Doctor of Credit’s Fifth Third page for the full rundown on requirements and a link to apply. They track bank bonuses obsessively and will have the most current details on what’s needed to qualify.
If you’re in one of the 14 eligible states and you use direct deposit, this is one of the easier ways to put a few hundred bucks back in your pocket this spring — no spending required, no credit hit, just a short-term account switch.