Fifth Third Launches Card With 18-Month 0% Intro APR

Fifth Third is giving borrowers 18 billing cycles to put credit card interest on pause with its new product.

The new Truly Simple Credit Card launched Sept. 1 with a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers during that window and no annual fee.

The new card seems well timed as it enters a market where Americans are carrying $1.26 trillion in credit card debt after balances rose $21 billion in the second quarter. Fifth Third designed Truly Simple for consumers looking to consolidate higher-rate debt, finance major purchases and save on interest rather than earn rewards.

$0.00T$1.26T U.S. credit card balances in Q2 2026

While the interest might be put on pause, the fees are not. Moving the debt comes with a toll: $5 or 4% of each balance transfer, whichever is higher.

The interest meter also switches back on once the introductory period ends. Any balance left after the introductory period will accrue interest at a variable APR based on the cardholder’s creditworthiness.

Borrowers must pass Fifth Third’s credit review to qualify for the card and its introductory offer.

Organizing Fifth Third’s range of consumer cards are two jobs. Its 1.67% Cash/Back card looks after rewards, while interest savings falls to Truly Simple.

Ben Hoffman, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Consumer Products at Fifth Third, said this was something consumers were looking for.

“People are looking for practical and reliable ways to manage debt, finance important purchases and keep their financial lives simple,” he said in the announcement. “The Truly Simple Credit Card was created to meet those needs by providing valuable introductory financing, digital tools that make it easier to manage payments and benefits that help customers get even more from their everyday spending.”

Within its mobile banking app, cardholders can initiate transfers and manage automatic payments.

Let’s say there’s a cardholder with $8,000 split across two cards, each with an APR of 24%. To move this onto Truly Simple, they will pay a $320 fee, or 4% of $8,000. Their balance now sits at $8,320 on day one.

That’s good value compared with simply letting the balance sit. An $8,000 balance at 24% APR would accrue about $160 in interest during the first month alone, meaning the interest savings could offset the $320 transfer fee within a few months.

More interesting, though, is how quickly they could clear the $8,320 during the introductory window. Paying about $463 a month for 18 billing cycles would wipe out the balance, assuming no new purchases, fees or charges.

Cardholders who don’t pay their balance off during the introductory period move the remaining balance onto a reset rate between 18.49% and 29.49%. That’s when the math starts turning against the borrower, as interest begins building on the balance that remains.

Truly Simple might not win the race for the longest interest-free period, but it is certainly in the running.

Wells Fargo Reflect advertises 21 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, Discover it Balance Transfer offers 15 months, and Fifth Third lands in the middle at 18 months.

Selected 0% Intro Balance-Transfer Windows

Sources: Fifth Third, Wells Fargo and Discover; offers accessed September 2026

Consumers should still be careful to read the offer directly in front of them because terms can change or vary by applicant and marketing channel. Plus, the number of interest-free months doesn’t tell the whole story.

The transfer fee, eventual interest rate and affordable monthly payment determine how much a borrower can actually save.

Truly Simple doesn’t have its own rewards program, although eligible cardholders can receive limited Instacart benefits through Mastercard.

New Instacart+ subscribers can receive three free months of membership, while eligible members can receive $10 off their second qualifying order of at least $10 each month. The offer is scheduled to expire Jan. 31, 2027.

Truly Simple can also charge a late-payment fee of up to $41. That makes on-time payments especially important for borrowers using the card to regain control of existing debt.