Update 4/5/26: Bonus now $350 and extended until June 30, 2026.
Update 1/5/26: Bonus reduced to $300 but extended to 3/31/26.
Update 12/12/2025: Bonus increased to $400.
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $400
- Availability: Only in the following states: FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MI, NC, OH, TN, WV, SC (may be only for those within a 50-mile radius of a branch). A lot of the time you’ll need to go in branch to complete the account opening.
- Direct deposit required: $500+
- Additional requirements: None
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Yes
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: None listed
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: S
eptember 30th, 2017 December 31st, 2017.March 31st, 2018 June 30th, 2018September 30th, 2018December 31st, 2018March 31st, 2019April 30th, 2019 June 30th, 2019 October 31st, 2019.August 31, 2020.September 30th, 2020October 31, 2020 December 31, 2020March 31, 2021 Note these offers are known to expire earlier than the expiration date so do not leave it to the last minute.
The Offer
Direct link to offer
- Fifth Third is offering a $400 bonus when you open a new Fifth Third Essential checking account when you complete the following requirements:
- Make direct deposits totaling $500 or more within 90 days of account opening
The Fine Print
- Offer not available to existing checking or Express Banking customers or to those with a Fifth Third Checking or Express Banking account that has been closed within the last 13 months.
- Bank reserves the right to limit each customer to one new account-related gift incentive per calendar year.
- Essential Checking account must be opened between 1/1/2021 and 3/31/2021.
- Bonus will be deposited into your new checking account within 10 business days of completing requirements.
- Basic Checking, Express Banking and Business Checking accounts are excluded from this offer.
- Bonus may be taxable as interest income and reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.
Avoiding Fees
Some states are able to open the Free Checking Account with Extra time (now called Momentum checking), that’s the best option if available. Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan all have the free option. Other states have another free checking offer.
Early Account Termination Fee
This account does not have an early account termination fee
Our Verdict
Fifth Third used to to offer a $300 bonus with no direct deposit or a $500 bonus with a direct deposit but neither of those offers have been seen since 2019. The standard bonus has been $300, so this is an increased offer by $100. We will be adding this to our best bank bonus page.
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- Bank Account Quick Reference Table (Spreadsheet) (very useful for sorting bonuses by different parameters)
- PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
- What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Don’t Pull ChexSystems?
- How To Use Our Direct Deposit Page For Bank Bonuses Page
- Common Bank Bonus Misconceptions + Why You Should Give Them A Go
- How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?
- Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
- Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank
- Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
