ToolsCard Scores1.67% Cash/Back Card
Is the Fifth Third Cash/Back card worth it?
MoneyRoom Card Score
7.0/ 10
It's a good card with an odd number: 1.7% back on everything with no fee — more than the usual lower flat rate, less than the higher one. The catch is a stack of small partner promos whose monthly deadlines now cost it real points on effort.
Data: MoneyRoom card catalog (details pending verification are flagged) · scores update daily · catalog data as of 2026-04-30 · How we verify
The rate is what people notice: 1.7% on every purchase, an oddly specific number that sits above the common lower flat rate but below the higher one. Our score ignores the marketing: it counts the rate on a typical year of spending, gives full marks on value for no fee, and prints 7.0.
What changed the score is the promos: Lyft, Peacock and Instacart partner credits now come with the card, each small, each needing enrollment, each with its own expiring deadline. They add a little value and a lot of upkeep — its effort score is 4.5 for three monthly resets — and if you ignore them, you get the old hassle-free card at the same flat rate. Cell phone protection is still the unpriced tiebreaker against flat-rate cards just above and below it.
Credits vs. fee
No annual fee to cover.
The 1.67% Cash/Back Card lists $216 in yearly credits and benefits at face value (their full amounts). Using our published assumptions, we estimate a typical cardholder gets back about $109. Typical value applies our published discounts for what makes credits easy to miss: deadlines, limits on where you can use them, enrollment (switching a credit on once), and waiting to be paid back.
| Credit / benefit | Resets | Face value / yr | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyft ride creditRideshare | Monthly | $60 | $31 |
| Peacock statement creditStreaming | Monthly | $36 | $19 |
| Instacart second-order creditGrocery · enrollment required | MonthlyEnrollment required | $120 | $59 |
| Yearly total | $216 | $109 | |
After the fee, at face value:+$216 / yr
After the fee, at typical use:+$109 / yr
The fine print that matters
Why is typical value less than face value?
The flat rate itself is still simple: no categories, no caps for everyday spending, and redemption through Fifth Third's banking — easiest if you already have an account there. The fine print is now in the promos: the Lyft credit needs qualifying rides each month before it pays, the Peacock credit only covers that subscription, and all three partner promos have end dates — which is why we discount them heavily instead of quoting their full amounts. The odd number still means one thing in practice: you'll compare it with the round-number flat rates, and the answer hasn't changed — it beats one, loses to the other, and the cell phone protection decides close calls.
Lyft ride credit — $31 typical of $60 face
Rideshare
- Resets monthly × 0.65
- Only works at certain places × 0.80
Peacock statement credit — $19 typical of $36 face
Streaming
- Resets monthly × 0.65
- Only works at certain places × 0.80
Instacart second-order credit — $59 typical of $120 face
Grocery · enrollment required
- Resets monthly × 0.65
- Only works at certain places × 0.80
- Enrollment required × 0.95
Earning
What does everyday spending actually earn?
Rewards come as cash back, worth exactly what it says. On our published mix of everyday spending, that works out to 1.7% back.
| Category | Rate | After spending caps | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 1.67% | 1.67% | Base rate |
| Groceries | 1.67% | 1.67% | Base rate |
| Gas | 1.67% | 1.67% | Base rate |
| Flights booked direct | 1.67% | 1.67% | Base rate |
| Hotels booked direct | 1.67% | 1.67% | Base rate |
| Everything else | 1.67% | 1.67% |
Not in the score
What does the score leave out?
- Cell phone protection. Pay your phone bill with the card and you're covered. Real, but it's insurance, and we never price insurance on any page.
- The banking relationship. Redemption and service assume you're near Fifth Third; fine if you are, a hassle if you're not.
- The welcome offer. One-time, left out as always.
Listed on the card, never priced:
- Cell phone protection
Your own numbers
See if it pays for itself for you.
The score assumes a typical cardholder. The free Annual Fee Calculator loads this card's real credits and fee and lets you enter what you'd actually use — no account needed.
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Questions
Common questions before you apply.
Why the odd rate?
Positioning: high enough to beat the common lower flat rate, cheap enough for the bank to keep paying. Our score just counts it: about 1.7% back, an earning score of 5.6.
Should I pick it over a card with a higher flat rate?
Only for the phone protection, or if you already bank with Fifth Third. On rate alone the higher flat rate wins, and both take no effort.
What does it score?
7.0 out of 10: perfect value, effort 4.5 for the partner-promo upkeep, earning 5.6. Still solidly in the middle, just no longer maintenance-free.
When do the 1.67% Cash/Back Card credits reset?
Each credit has its own schedule: 3 credits reset monthly. Calendar-based credits reset at the start of their month, quarter, half, or year. Unused amounts don't roll over. See every card's reset calendar.