Fifth Third Bank and Brex Announce Multi-Year Sponsor Bank Partnership
On December 9, 2025, Fifth Third Bank and Brex announced a multi-year sponsor bank partnership combining Fifth Third's commercial banking relationships with Brex's AI-powered finance platform. Under the agreement, Fifth Third's commercial banking clients will gain access to Brex's suite of products, including commercial cards and spend management tools. The partnership is expected to unlock approximately $5.6 billion in annual payment volume flowing through the combined offering.
Fifth Third contributes its established commercial banking client base and regulatory infrastructure, while Brex provides its technology platform and AI-driven finance capabilities. The deal positions Fifth Third as a key sponsor bank player in the embedded commercial payments space. Financial terms of the multi-year arrangement beyond the payment volume figure were not disclosed.
The partnership signals growing appetite among large regional banks to embed fintech capabilities directly into their commercial banking offerings rather than building proprietary solutions.
- Signals major regional banks are actively seeking fintech partnerships to modernize commercial banking offerings rather than building in-house
- Brex's expansion into sponsor bank relationships deepens its embedded finance footprint and diversifies its distribution beyond direct-to-customer channels