Editor’s Note: Overdraft Apps provides detailed product reviews and recommendations based upon extensive research and our own hands-on testing. We may earn a referral fee when you sign up for or purchase products mentioned in this article.
Mitchel holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from The Goizeta School of Business at Emory University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at The University of California.
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Updated August 2026.
How much is Fifth Third’s overdraft fee? On Fifth Third Momentum Checking, Fifth Third’s no-monthly-fee flagship account, an overdraft costs $35 per item, capped at three fees a day. Fifth Third will not charge that fee if your account is overdrawn by $5 or less at the end of the day, or if the single item is $5 or less. Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking include Extra Time, which gives you until midnight Eastern the next business day to fix a negative balance before any fee applies.
| Fifth Third overdraft, at a glance | What it means |
|---|---|
| Overdraft fee | $35 per item |
| Daily limit | Up to 3 overdraft fees per day ($105 total) |
| No-fee cushion | No fee if overdrawn $5 or less at end of day, and no fee on any item of $5 or less |
| Extra Time grace | Until midnight ET the next business day to deposit and avoid the fee. Available on Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking |
| Returned-item (NSF) fee | $0 on the current Consumer Product Information schedule (returned items unpaid). Eliminated for consumer accounts in 2022 |
| New customer window | No overdraft fees on Momentum or Preferred Checking for the first 90 days after opening |
| Overdraft protection transfer | Free on Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking. Older Essential Checking accounts (and business/commercial) may still see a $12 transfer fee, waived if the overdraft is $5 or less |
| ATM and debit card overdrafts | Off unless you opt in |
Fees verified August 21, 2026 from Fifth Third’s overdraft solutions page and its checking account fee disclosures.
How much does a Fifth Third overdraft cost?
Fifth Third charges $35 for each item it pays when your balance cannot cover it, up to 3 fees a day. That caps a single day’s overdraft cost at $105. Fifth Third Express Banking is the one exception: that account never charges an overdraft fee at all, because it does not offer overdraft coverage.
Two rules soften that $35 charge. Fifth Third will not charge a fee on any item of $5 or less, and it will not charge a fee at all if your account ends the day overdrawn by $5 or less. Both apply automatically, with no signup required.
Extra Time: the grace period on Momentum and Preferred Checking
Fifth Third Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking include Extra Time. If the bank pays a transaction that overdraws your account, Extra Time gives you until midnight Eastern Time the next business day to deposit enough to bring your available balance back to at least $0. Do that in time and Fifth Third does not charge the fee. Extra Time does not apply to items returned unpaid. Your deposit needs to cover the overdrawn items plus outstanding checks, automatic payments, and pending debit card purchases that post that same day.
New Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking customers get an added break: no overdraft fees at all on transactions posted in the first 90 days after opening the account.
Does Fifth Third charge a returned-item (NSF) fee?
No. Fifth Third’s Consumer Product Information schedule lists the returned item fee as $0 for consumer accounts (you are not charged when Fifth Third returns a check or payment unpaid). Fifth Third eliminated consumer NSF fees in 2022. If you are not opted in, ATM withdrawals and everyday debit card purchases that would overdraw the account are declined with no overdraft fee.
Overdraft protection transfers
You can link a Fifth Third savings account, Equity Flexline, or credit card to your checking account so funds move over automatically when you run short. On the accounts Fifth Third currently opens for new customers, Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking, that transfer is free. Fifth Third’s overdraft page still mentions a $12 transfer fee on Essential Checking and on business or commercial accounts. Essential and Enhanced Checking no longer appear in the current consumer lineup for new accounts, so treat those as older accounts if you still hold one. The $12 fee is waived if the overdraft is $5 or less. A credit line transfer still charges its normal interest rate on the amount you borrow.
Which transactions can overdraw your account?
Fifth Third will decline an ATM withdrawal or an everyday debit card purchase if you do not opt in to coverage for those transactions, and a decline costs nothing at Fifth Third. But a decline is not free everywhere else: a declined debit card means the purchase does not go through at the register, and a declined ATM withdrawal means you walk away with no cash. Checks, ACH payments, and automatic bill payments work differently. Fifth Third can pay those into overdraft whether or not you opt in to anything, which avoids a missed payment but adds the $35 fee.
| Transaction type | What happens if funds are short |
|---|---|
| ATM withdrawal (not opted in) | Declined at the machine, no cash dispensed, no fee |
| Everyday debit card purchase (not opted in) | Declined at checkout, no fee |
| ATM or debit purchase (opted in) | Paid into overdraft, $35 fee may apply |
| Checks | May be paid into overdraft automatically, $35 fee may apply |
| ACH and automatic bill payments | May be paid into overdraft automatically, $35 fee may apply |
| Recurring debit card payments | May be paid into overdraft automatically, $35 fee may apply |
Paying a bill into overdraft can be the cheaper outcome if the alternative is a landlord’s late fee or a utility reconnection charge. For a small purchase, the decline usually costs less. It is your call, and Fifth Third leaves both doors open depending on whether you opt in.
How to avoid Fifth Third overdraft fees
- Choose Momentum Checking or Preferred Checking. Momentum is Fifth Third’s no-monthly-fee flagship. Both include Extra Time.
- Set a low-balance alert. The Fifth Third app can text or email you before a purchase pushes you negative.
- Use Extra Time on purpose. If you slip past $5 negative, deposit enough to zero out before midnight ET the next business day.
- Link a savings account. On Momentum or Preferred Checking the transfer is free.
- Skip opting in to ATM and debit overdraft if you would rather have a purchase declined than pay $35.
Short before payday? If the alternative is stacking bank fees, a small advance can be cheaper when you qualify and repay on time.
See how to borrow $50 instantly, or compare every option side by side below.
What happened to Comerica? Is Comerica now Fifth Third?
Yes. Fifth Third completed its merger with Comerica on February 1, 2026, according to Comerica’s Form 8-K (filed February 2, 2026). Comerica Bank and Comerica Bank & Trust, National Association, were merged into Fifth Third Bank, National Association, the surviving bank. If you had a Comerica checking account, Fifth Third is now the bank standing behind it, even on days when a statement or local branch still says Comerica.
If you are a former Comerica customer looking for Fifth Third’s current overdraft numbers, those are the $35 fee, 3-per-day cap, and $5 cushion on Momentum Checking in this guide.
How Fifth Third compares to the average US bank
Bankrate’s 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study puts the average bank overdraft fee at $26.77. Fifth Third’s $35 fee runs about $8.23, or 31%, above that average. Fifth Third’s counterweight is its $5 no-fee cushion and its 3-per-day cap, both more forgiving than many banks that still charge the full fee on any negative balance.
| Bank (typical account) | Overdraft fee | No-fee cushion |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth Third (Momentum Checking) | $35, up to 3/day | $5 threshold + Extra Time to midnight ET |
| Average US bank (Bankrate 2025) | $26.77 | 66% of accounts give some leeway |
| Huntington (Asterisk-Free) | $15, up to 3/day | $50 Safety Zone + 24-Hour Grace |
| Capital One (360 Checking) | $0, no overdraft fee | Fees eliminated |
Source: Bankrate 2025 Checking Account and ATM Fee Study, published September 10, 2025, https://www.bankrate.com/press-releases/atm-fees-hit-record-high-for-third-consecutive-year/
Compare cash advance apps that can cover a shortfall. If you keep landing in overdraft, an app that fronts you a small amount until payday may cost less than repeat bank fees.
Fifth Third overdraft FAQ
How much is Fifth Third’s overdraft fee?
$35 per item, capped at 3 fees a day. There is no fee if the account is overdrawn $5 or less, or if the single item is $5 or less.
What is Fifth Third Extra Time?
Extra Time gives Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking customers until midnight Eastern the next business day to deposit enough to bring their balance to at least $0 and avoid the overdraft fee.
Does Fifth Third charge a returned-item or NSF fee?
No. The current Consumer Product Information schedule lists the returned item fee as $0 for consumer accounts. Declined ATM and debit purchases, if you are not opted in, also carry no overdraft fee.
Can Fifth Third overdraft my debit card or ATM withdrawal?
Only if you opt in. Without opting in, those transactions are declined at no charge, meaning the purchase does not go through and no cash comes out of the ATM.
Is there a fee for Fifth Third overdraft protection transfers?
No fee on Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking. Older Essential Checking accounts, and business or commercial accounts, may pay $12 per transfer, waived if the overdraft is $5 or less.
Do new Fifth Third customers get a break on overdraft fees?
Yes. Momentum Checking and Preferred Checking customers pay no overdraft fees on transactions posted in the first 90 days after opening.
Mitchel holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from The Goizeta School of Business at Emory University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at The University of California.
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