In a major convergence of traditional banking and fintech, Fifth Third Bank will migrate its commercial card program to Brex's platform, aiming to replace legacy spreadsheets with AI-driven automation.
CINCINNATI/SAN FRANCISCO - In a significant move that underscores the deepening convergence between established financial institutions and agile fintech challengers, Fifth Third Bank has announced a comprehensive partnership with Brex. Under the multi-year agreement, revealed on December 9, 2025, the Cincinnati-based bank will utilize Brex's software platform to power its entire commercial card issuance and expense management operations. The deal is set to modernize the infrastructure supporting approximately $5.6 billion in annual commercial card payment volume, signaling a decisive shift away from legacy banking systems toward AI-native finance.
The collaboration represents a strategic pivot for Fifth Third, a top-tier regional bank currently in the process of expanding its footprint through the acquisition of Comerica. By embedding Brex's technology directly into its offering, Fifth Third aims to provide its commercial clients with the kind of sleek, automated user experience previously reserved for Silicon Valley startups. For Brex, the deal validates its expansion into the enterprise sector through its "Brex Embedded" product, launched just months prior in September 2024.
Table of contents [Show]
According to reports from Banking Dive and CNBC, the partnership will see Brex providing the backend and frontend technology for Fifth Third's commercial clients. This includes the issuance of corporate cards and the integration of expense management tools designed to automate reconciliation and approvals. The rollout, scheduled to take full effect next year, will allow the bank's clients to migrate from manual, spreadsheet-heavy processes to a real-time, AI-driven financial operating system.
The mechanics of the partnership rely heavily on "Brex Embedded," an API-first solution that enables third parties to utilize Brex's global card and payments capabilities without building their own stack from scratch. PYMNTS notes that this solution was specifically designed to help software vendors and banks offer competitive financial products. By adopting this "agentic" commercial card model, Fifth Third can bypass the lengthy and costly process of developing proprietary software updates, instead leasing innovation that is already market-tested.
The road to this partnership highlights the rapid evolution of the B2B payments landscape:
The driving force behind this collaboration is the demand for efficiency in corporate treasury and finance departments. Bridgit Chayt, Fifth Third's head of commercial payments and treasury management, emphasized the operational shift the partnership intends to facilitate.
"Our partnership with Brex is a commitment to redefine how companies leverage financial technology... [It will help clients] focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets." - Bridgit Chayt via Payments Dive
From the fintech perspective, the deal is a massive distribution win. As noted by Finovate, the partnership expands Brex's reach into established commercial banking sectors that are often resistant to changing providers. By partnering with a trusted incumbent like Fifth Third, Brex gains access to a conservative client base that might not have otherwise considered a standalone fintech solution.
For years, banks debated whether to build their own digital tools or buy them. This partnership suggests a third path is winning: partnering/embedding. Fifth Third's decision indicates that regional banks increasingly view technology not as a core competency to be hoarded, but as a utility to be procured from specialists. This allows the bank to focus on its balance sheet and relationship management while outsourcing the user interface and software experience to digital natives.
For businesses in the Midwest and beyond who bank with Fifth Third, this upgrade promises substantial efficiency gains. Ohio Tech News highlights that the deal applies "AI-native finance" to billions in spend. Practically, this means automated receipt matching, real-time fraud detection, and dynamic spending limits-features that reduce the month-end closing time for finance teams. It brings Fortune 500-level treasury tools to mid-market companies.
This move puts pressure on other regional banks. As Fifth Third enhances its value proposition with Brex's tech, competitors relying on legacy card platforms may find their offerings looking antiquated. It also intensifies the competition for commercial clients, as the barrier to switching banks becomes lower when superior technology is the lure.
Looking ahead, the success of this partnership will likely be measured by adoption rates among Fifth Third's existing clients and the smooth technical integration of the two distinct systems. If successful, this model could become a blueprint for the industry, where banks effectively become the "balance sheet" and fintechs become the "operating system."
With Fifth Third also navigating its acquisition of Comerica, the integration of Brex's platform could serve as a unifying digital layer for the newly merged entity's commercial clients. Experts expect to see more "embedded" deals in 2026 as fintechs seek sustainable revenue streams and banks seek to modernize without the heavy lift of internal R&D.
Federal regulators have launched a sweeping investigation into nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles, citing concerns over traffic violations and performance in low visibility, marking a critical turning point for autonomous driving oversight.
As 2025 draws to a close, Seattle solidifies its rank as a global AI superpower. However, the region's tech sector is undergoing a massive reboot, trading speculative hype for 'boring' back-end efficiency and agentic workflows.
At CES 2026, the tech industry pivots from cloud dependence to on-device intelligence. New chips from Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD promise a revolution in privacy and performance.
