We constantly track the best cash back credit cards. The Stand Up To Cancer® Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank is one that makes a difference.
Every $1 spent with this no-annual-fee card earns 1 Real Life Rewards point, equivalent to a 1% return on spending. Cardholders can redeem their Real Life Rewards points at face value for donations to Stand Up to Cancer (also known as Stand Up 2 Cancer or SU2C), a charitable initiative of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that funds cancer research and related activities. Fifth Third Bank matches 10% of all redemption donations – in other words, they kick in $10 for every $100 donated from cardholders’ Real Life Rewards balances.
The Stand Up to Cancer card isn’t just for saints. You can also redeem for gift cards, statement credit cards, cash deposits to existing Fifth Third Bank accounts, and credits against outstanding Fifth Third Bank loans (including mortgages). No matter what you do with your rewards, SU2C receives an additional $5 every year your card account remains active.
If you’re looking for a rewards-bearing credit card that helps you sleep easier at night, this card could be for you. Here’s what you need to know about its features, benefits, drawbacks, and suitability for consumers like you.
Key Features
Earning Cash Back Rewards
The Stand Up to Cancer Card from Fifth Third Bank earns unlimited 1% cash back (1 Real Life Rewards point per $1 spent) on all purchases, with no caps or restrictions.
Redeeming Cash Back Rewards
The most impactful way to redeem your cash back is for donations to Stand Up to Cancer. When you choose this option, Fifth Third Bank kicks in an additional 10%. For instance, when you redeem 2,000 Real Life Rewards points ($20 value) for an SU2C donation, Fifth Third Bank donates an additional $2.
You can also redeem for credit card statement credits, cash deposits to Fifth Third Bank checking or savings accounts, credits against Fifth Third Bank loans (including mortgages), gift cards, general merchandise, and travel purchases made through Real Life Rewards’s self-booking portal.
Real Life Rewards points are worth $0.01 at redemption. Certain redemption methods, such as travel purchases, may come with minimum redemption thresholds.
Annual SU2C Contribution
Every year your card account remains active and in good standing, Fifth Third donates an additional $5 and 0.2% of all net retail card purchases to SU2C. These donations aren’t contingent upon your redemption patterns. Even if you redeem for cash or merchandise, the contribution stands.
Important Fees
There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%. Cash advances and balance transfers both cost the greater of $5 or 4%. Late payment fees range up to $35.
Intro APR
This card has a 12-month 0% APR purchase and balance transfer promotion.
Regular APR
Once the introductory period ends, this card’s purchase and balance transfer APR ranges from 14.49 to 25.49%, depending on your personal creditworthiness and prevailing interest rates. The cash advance APR is 24.99%. The penalty APR is 29.99%.
Cell Phone Protection Plan
As long as you charge your monthly wireless bills in full to your Stand Up to Cancer card, you’re covered under the terms of its cell phone protection plan, which is backed by MasterCard. Your plan protects your primary line and up to 2 secondary lines from a variety of events, including theft and damage. There’s a $50 deductible per claim, and your benefits are capped at $200 per claim and $400 per year.
Travel Benefits
The Stand Up to Cancer Credit Card has a lot of travel-friendly benefits backed by Mastercard, including:
- Airport concierge service (for help navigating unfamiliar airports)
- Mastercard concierge service (offers help with bookings, reservations, and more)
- Mastercard travel service (basically a personalized travel agent)
- Mastercard Priceless Cities, which offers exclusive and priority access to performances, events, special experiences, and more
Other Mastercard Benefits
This card’s other benefits include extended warranties that double the original warranty up to 4 years and a price protection policy that covers the cost difference if you find a lower price on an item purchased with your SU2C card within a certain timeframe.
Credit Required
This card requires good credit. If you have significant credit issues in your recent past, your application may be in jeopardy.
Advantages
- No Annual Fee. The Stand Up to Cancer Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank has no annual fee. That’s great news for frugal cardholders who want to maximize their earning power.
- 0% APR for 12 Months on Purchases and Balance Transfers. If you have high-interest credit card balances, the Stand Up to Cancer Credit Card could save you a boatload on interest – provided you transfer your balance in full shortly after opening your SU2C card account and devote your full financial resources to paying as much of it as possible down within 12 months. Likewise, if you’re looking to finance a large purchase (such as a home improvement project or used car), the 0% APR introductory purchase promotion is enticing.
- Can Apply Cash Back to Fifth Third Loans. The Stand Up to Cancer card makes it easy to redeem your accumulated cash back against outstanding Fifth Third loan balances, including auto and mortgage loans. You can set up an auto-credit system that automatically empties your Real Life Rewards balance into your loan balance in $25 increments. Few other cash back credit cards allow you to apply rewards directly to bank loan balances.
- Fifth Third Bank Matches 10% of SU2C Donations. As if you needed another incentive to donate to a worthy anti-cancer charity, Fifth Third Bank kicks in an additional 10% of all donations to SU2C. That’s $10 for every $100 you donate.
- Not Required to Redeem for SU2C Donations. It’s great that this card allows you to donate to a worthy organization. However, it doesn’t force you to do so. If you’ve signed up for this card instead of the more potent TRIO Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank, you probably like the charitable giving aspect – but you might also like the option to exercise veto power over where your hard-earned rewards go.
- Nice Fringe Benefits. This card’s fringe benefits are pretty impressive for an entry level credit card. The extensive travel benefits, extended warranties, cell phone protection, and price protection are all valuable: when used properly, they can save you far more money than you’re likely to earn from the 1% rewards rate alone.
Disadvantages
- No Sign-up Bonus. This card does not have a sign-up bonus. That’s a bummer for new cardholders seeking to juice their earnings and a drawback relative to popular annual-fee-free alternatives such as Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card ($100 sign-up bonus) and Chase Freedom (up to $175 sign-up bonus).
- Relatively Low Baseline Earning Rate. The Stand Up to Cancer Credit Card has a relatively low cash back earning rate: just 1% (1 Real Life Rewards point per $1 spent). That’s lower than popular competitors such as Citi Double Cash Card (2% cash back on everything) and Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5% cash back on everything).
- Points Expire After 3 Years. Real Life Rewards points expire 3 years after they’re earned, so it’s important to stay on top of your point balance and redeem regularly. This is a relatively rare feature in the cash back card space – and a decidedly unwelcome one.
- Penalty APR. This card has a penalty APR of 29.99%. That rate kicks in 60 days after your payment due date and remains until you make 6 on-time payments – a long time to go at such a high rate of interest. Many competing cards, including the Discover it family of cash back cards, don’t charge penalty interest at all.
- Foreign Transaction Fee. This card has a 3% foreign transaction fee. That’s problematic for regular international travelers – even if their international travel constitutes nothing more than quick weekend road trips across the Mexican or Canadian borders. Fifth Third Bank’s other major cash back card, TRIO, waives foreign transaction fees.
Final Word
Not all credit cards let you donate your rewards points to charity. Those that do tend to regard it as an afterthought – something high-spending cardholders do when they can’t find anything else to do with their points.
The Stand Up To Cancer® Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank is different. Charitable donations are front and center here, not least because cardholders sacrifice substantial point-earning power (relative to Fifth Third’s more generous TRIO cash back credit card) for the chance to donate their points to a worthy cause. If you’re seeking a higher purpose for your spending, you may have just found your ideal credit card.
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Stand Up To Cancer® Credit Card
The Stand Up to Cancer Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank is ideal for consumers who want their spending to make a difference – in this case, by donating their earned rewards to a reputable anti-cancer charity. Those who want to use their points for personal gains have plenty of options at their disposal too, but given the SU2C card’s low baseline earning rate (just 1% cash back), they’d probably be better off with higher-earning alternatives.
Score: 3.7 out of 5 stars
The Stand Up To Cancer® Credit Card from Fifth Third Bank has some useful benefits: no annual fee, 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, the ability to apply cash back to Fifth Third loans, Fifth Third’s 10% bonus on SU2C donations, the fact that cardholders aren’t required to redeem for SU2C donations, and a nice fringe benefit lineup.
The Stand Up to Cancer card’s major drawbacks include the lack of a sign-up bonus, the flat 1% cash back rate, points expire after 3 years, the high penalty APR, and a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Overall, the Stand Up to Cancer Card from Fifth Third Bank is a strong choice for generous cardholders who don’t mind forgoing personal gain to donate to a good cause – though its rewards can still be used for personal gain too.
