# Fifth Third Bancorp: Payments AI

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/payments-ai
Last updated: Oct 16, 2026

*Part of the [Fifth Third Bancorp AI strategy profile](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third).*

## How does Fifth Third use AI in payments?

Fifth Third's payments AI is built for other companies' agents. Newline, its embedded-payments platform, launched a Model Context Protocol server in December 2025 so AI agents get secure, standardized access to its APIs and documentation, which CEO Tim Spence called 'a first among U.S. banks', and in April 2026 added Skills, a layer that guides AI models to use tools and workflows correctly. Newline's general manager says a client's agent can now approve an invoice and Newline will 'release payment and reconcile it'. For its own commercial clients the bank made Brex the commercial-card provider in December 2025, bringing Brex's AI agents for receipts, spend policy and month-end close to $5.6 billion of annual card volume. The July 2026 investor deck describes commercial payments, about 1,500 people and $1.0 billion of trailing fees, as moving from automation to 'agentic work'. Newline fee revenue grew 53% in 2025, it serves Stripe, Trustly, Plaid and Circle, and in 2026 the bank invested in Payload and paired Newline with Comerica's tech franchise in Innovation Banking. Commercial payments processed more than $18 trillion in 2025. ([Investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-fifth-third-bancorp-beats-q4-2025-eps-forecast-93CH-4455871), [Fifth Third](https://locations.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-04-13.html), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/payments/news/how-fifth-third-grew-embedded-banking-fee-revenue-53-in-2025), [Fifth Third](https://onlinebanking.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2025/press-release-2025-12-09.html), [Banking Dive](https://www.bankingdive.com/news/fifth-third-brex-ink-corporate-card-partnership/807563/), [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm), [earnings call transcript (The Motley Fool)](https://fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/04/17/fifth-third-fitb-q1-2026-earnings-transcript), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/payments/news/fifth-third-invests-in-embedded-payments-firm-payload), [Fifth Third (Business Wire via FT Markets)](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/full?dockey=600-202610010800BIZWIRE_USPRX____20261001_BW287040-1))

## What AI and agent capabilities has Fifth Third built into payments?

| Capability | What it does | Who uses it | Date | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Newline MCP server | Securely connects AI models to Newline APIs, data and documentation, standardising how agents access the platform | Newline's enterprise and fintech clients | December 2025 | [Investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-fifth-third-bancorp-beats-q4-2025-eps-forecast-93CH-4455871), [Fifth Third](https://locations.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-04-13.html) |
| Skills | Guides AI models to use tools correctly, apply predefined workflows, review and generate code and follow development templates, 'while maintaining stronger governance' | Developers building on Newline | April 13, 2026 | [Fifth Third](https://locations.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-04-13.html), [Fifth Third (Business Wire via Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/fifth-third-newline-extends-mcp-120000221.html) |
| Agent-initiated invoice payment | Tom Bianco: a client can 'hit the Newline infrastructure, approve an invoice via their agent, and we can actually release payment and reconcile it' | Newline clients | April 2026 | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/payments/news/how-fifth-third-grew-embedded-banking-fee-revenue-53-in-2025) |
| Brex agentic commercial cards | Brex's system of agents captures receipts, matches transactions, enforces spend policy, automates approvals and accelerates month-end close | Fifth Third commercial clients; pilot in one regional market, then all commercial segments | December 2025 | [Fifth Third](https://onlinebanking.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2025/press-release-2025-12-09.html), [Banking Dive](https://www.bankingdive.com/news/fifth-third-brex-ink-corporate-card-partnership/807563/) |
| Treasury automation lineage | CPS launched 2014; Expert AP, Expert AR and Choice Disbursements launched 2017-2023; healthcare receivables automation acquired 2023 (Big Data Healthcare) and physical cash management acquired 2025 (DTS Connex); next on the deck: 'Future Agentic Solutions' | Commercial treasury clients | 2014-2026 | [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm), [Payments Dive](https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/fifth-third-buys-cash-management-software-dts-connex/758310/) |
| AI in healthcare revenue-cycle services | Several AI proofs of concept across the managed-services portfolio, built on Big Data Healthcare's payment data | Healthcare providers | October 2025 | [PYMNTS](https://www.pymnts.com/healthcare/2025/fifth-third-bets-big-data-will-tame-healthcares-revenue-storm/) |

## How big is Fifth Third's payments business, and what has Newline delivered?

Figures as the bank or its executives reported them; Newline numbers are the bank's own.

| Metric | Value | As of | Source | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial payments volume | More than $18 trillion processed in 2025; sixth-largest commercial payments provider by revenue | 2025 | Newline MCP release | [Fifth Third](https://locations.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-04-13.html) |
| Commercial payments fees | $1.0 billion over the twelve months to Q2 2026; about 1,500 people; about 24,000 payments-related clients; about 40% of new relationships payments-led with no credit | Q2 2026 | July 2026 investor deck | [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm) |
| Newline fee revenue growth | 53% year over year in 2025 | 2025 | American Banker | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/payments/news/how-fifth-third-grew-embedded-banking-fee-revenue-53-in-2025) |
| Newline Q4 2025 | Revenues more than doubled year over year; deposits up $1.4 billion | Q4 2025 | Q4 2025 call | [Investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-fifth-third-bancorp-beats-q4-2025-eps-forecast-93CH-4455871) |
| Newline Q1 and Q2 2026 | Q1: deposits up $2.7 billion, fees up 30%; Q2: fee revenue up 35%, related deposits $5.3 billion | H1 2026 | Q1 release; Q2 call | [Business Wire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=600-202604170630BIZWIRE_USPRX____20260416_BW053198-1), [Motley Fool (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/fifth-third-fitb-q2-2026-002717146.html) |
| Brex card volume | $5.6 billion of annual commercial card volume moved onto Brex | December 2025 | Bank release | [Fifth Third](https://onlinebanking.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2025/press-release-2025-12-09.html) |
| Innovation Banking | Comerica's 34-year Tech and Life Sciences franchise plus Newline; a potential $10 billion multi-year deposit opportunity | October 1, 2026 | Bank release | [Fifth Third (Business Wire via FT Markets)](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/full?dockey=600-202610010800BIZWIRE_USPRX____20261001_BW287040-1) |

## Why is Fifth Third betting on agents in payments?

Bridgit Chayt, head of commercial payments, said in July 2025 that AI will be 'the unlock for taking the data that banks have had for years associated with the payments and actually turning them into real insights', and that AI agents sitting on top of a bank's offering in a particular vertical would let banks catch up with fintechs' vertical solutions, 'a buddy at work for your customer'. Being in clients' tech stacks means 'they rarely even know you're involved', she said. ([American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/leaders/embedded-and-instant-payments-what-fifth-third-sees-in-the-near-future))

Newline is staffed for fintech distribution: Banking Dive reported in July 2026 that Dan Allred joined as group head for fintech, working with Sushil Raja, general manager of Newline. Payload, in which the bank invested in August 2026, builds real-time risk monitoring and KYC into its core. Not disclosed: how many clients use the MCP server or Skills, payment volume initiated by agents, or loss and fraud data for agent-initiated payments. ([Banking Dive](https://www.bankingdive.com/news/fifth-third-lures-fintech-head-from-hsbc/826468/), [FinTech Global](https://fintech.global/2026/08/24/fifth-third-backs-payload-in-embedded-payments-push/))

## What does the Fifth Third profile record on this topic?

| Date | Move | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jun 10, 2026 | Invited into Anthropic's Project Glasswing | CFO Bryan Preston tells the Morgan Stanley U.S. Financials Conference the bank was invited in recent weeks, which he attributes to its role in payments infrastructure. | [PYMNTS](https://pymnts.com/cybersecurity/2026/anthropic-recruits-fifth-third-for-project-glasswing-ai-cybersecurity-initiative) |
| Jun 1, 2026 | CIO: about 1,000 engineers on AI tools, caution on agents | Schramm lists AI in lending and credit processes and a multilingual chatbot as 2026 priorities; real-time payments throughput rose from 35 to 140 transactions a second and technology changes saved $200 million a year; on agents touching deposit and loan systems, 'we've got to be really intentional'. | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-thirds-cio-jude-schramm-is-28-on-the-most-innovative-people-in-finance-ranking) |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Newline named Innovation of the Year honoree | For powering payments and embedded finance for fintechs and enterprises. | [Fifth Third](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-06-05.html), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-thirds-newline-is-one-of-the-innovation-of-the-year-honorees) |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Q1 2026 call: Plaid on Newline, tight limits on AI-infrastructure lending | Plaid launched a payment product on Newline alongside Stripe and Circle; Spence calls the tech conversion the largest transaction risk and plans three or four mock conversions; software loans are under 1% of the book and funded data-centre exposure under $100 million. | [earnings call transcript (The Motley Fool)](https://fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/04/17/fifth-third-fitb-q1-2026-earnings-transcript), [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-fifth-third-bancorp-beats-eps-forecasts-in-q1-2026-93CH-4621035), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-ceo-on-comerica-integration-so-far-so-good) |
| Apr 13, 2026 | Newline MCP server adds Skills | Standardises how AI models use tools and workflows for embedded-finance clients. | [Fifth Third (Business Wire via Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/fifth-third-newline-extends-mcp-120000221.html) |
| Dec 9, 2025 | Brex becomes the commercial-card provider | Multi-year partnership on Brex Embedded; $5.6 billion of annual card volume; Brex AI agents for clients. | [Fifth Third](https://onlinebanking.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2025/press-release-2025-12-09.html), [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/09/fifth-third-bank-brex-commercial-cards-agreement.html) |

## Common questions

### What is Newline's MCP server?

A Model Context Protocol server that Fifth Third's embedded-finance business, Newline, launched in December 2025. It securely connects AI models to Newline's APIs, data and documentation so a client's AI agents can use the bank's payment tools in a standard way. CEO Tim Spence called it a first among U.S. banks. In April 2026 Newline added Skills, which guide models to use tools and workflows correctly under stronger governance.

### Can an AI agent make payments through Fifth Third?

Through Newline, yes, for business clients that build on it. General manager Tom Bianco told American Banker in April 2026 that a client can approve an invoice via its agent and Newline will release the payment and reconcile it. The bank has not published how many clients do this or the volume involved.

### What do Brex's AI agents do for Fifth Third clients?

Under the December 2025 partnership, Fifth Third's commercial card program runs on Brex Embedded. Brex says its system of agents captures receipts, matches transactions, enforces spend policy, automates approvals and speeds month-end close. The rollout started as a pilot in one regional market and two corporate card verticals before expanding across commercial banking segments.

### How large is Fifth Third's payments business?

Fifth Third says commercial payments processed more than $18 trillion in 2025 and that it is the sixth-largest commercial payments provider by revenue. The July 2026 investor deck shows $1.0 billion of commercial payments fees over the trailing twelve months, about 1,500 people and about 24,000 payments-related clients. Newline, the fastest-growing part, grew fee revenue 53% in 2025.
## Deeper on Fifth Third

- [What is Fifth Third's AI strategy?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/ai-strategy)
- [What AI patents, research and partnerships does Fifth Third have?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/ai-research-patents-partnerships)
- [What is Jeanie, and how does Fifth Third use AI in its virtual assistant?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/virtual-assistant)
- [What technology stack does Fifth Third run?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/technology-stack)


---

Canonical page: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/payments-ai
Part of [BankingNewsAI](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/) — a free daily brief on AI in banking, an AI regulation tracker (42 authorities, 243 documents) and AI-strategy profiles of the 120 largest US banks. Markdown versions of every reference page: append `.md` to the page URL; index at https://www.bankingnewsai.com/llms.txt.