TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Card vs. Commerce Bank Special Connections® vs. TD First Class Visa® vs. Fifth Third Truly Simple Credit Card

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Introduction: TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, TD First Class Visa®, Fifth Third Credit Card, and Commerce Bank Credit Card

Sometimes the best option isn’t always the most well-known. The little mom-and-pop restaurant on the side of some rural road may serve a meal that puts any big-name chain restaurant to shame.

The same goes for the credit card industry. While the big banks such as Wells Fargo, Citibank, Chase Bank, and others do offer quality cards for a number of uses, they are definitely not the only players in the game.

A Commerce Bank card, TD Bank credit card, or a Fifth Third Bank credit card are three quality options offered by lesser-known banks that are worth considering.

In this brief article, AdvisoryHQ will look at what makes a Commerce credit card, TD Bank rewards card, and a Fifth Third credit card hold their own against other cards offered by their bigger name competitors. We will then offer a helpful comparative table of some of the top features of a Commerce credit card, TD Bank credit card, and Fifth Third Bank credit card.

Finally, we will compare some of the top features of four different credit cards offered by these banks (two TD credit card rewards cards, one Commerce Bank card, and one Fifth Third Bank credit card) so that you can find the best option for your money management needs.

What Makes the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, TD First Class Visa®, Fifth Third Credit Card, and Commerce Bank Credit Card Unique?

In the past decade, the mega bank mergers have been a regular occurrence in the news headlines. It seems like almost every small- to medium-sized bank with a national presence eventually gets taken over by one of the massive financial corporations whose names we all know.

However, Commerce Bank, TD Bank, and Fifth Third Bank are three different banks that have maintained their independence in the face of corporate mergers and takeovers.

Photo Courtesy Of: Commerce Bank

A Commerce Bank card is offered by a banking institution that has roots that go back to the year 1865 when a small bank was started with just $10,000 in capital. This one-time small bank has grown to have a presence in five different states as well as a strong presence on the Internet as a leading online bank. Their most recent annual report shows that even though they maintain a local connection, this bank is also very financially stable with more than $260 million in income in 2013.

The top TD credit card rewards programs are offered by a financial institution that has more than 1,300 locations in several states.

The TD First Class Visa® card is one of the top rewards cards on the market partly because TD Bank offers a different approach to banking. It calls its locations “stores” and generally, they have extended hours of operation to help people on tight schedules get their banking needs done.

A Fifth Third Bank credit card is another quality option offered by Fifth Third Bank, which is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Truly Simple Fifth Third credit card we review here is one of the top cards on the market because the issuing bank has more than $14 billion in total equity, making it a solid financial institution.

Comparison Review List:

The list below is sorted alphabetically:

Commerce Bank Special Connections®
TD Bank Credit Card Ameritrade Client Rewards
TD Rewards Card First Class Visa® Signature
Truly Simple Fifth Third Bank Credit Card

High-Level Comparison Table

Credit Card Names	Introductory APR Offer	Regular APR for purchases	Annual Fee
Commerce Bank Special Connections®	0% for 6 months for regular purchases & balance transfers	10.49% –20.49%	None
TD Bank Credit Card Ameritrade Client Rewards	None	13.24% –23.24%	None
TD Rewards Card First Class Visa® Signature	0% for 12 months for balance transfers	13.49%	$89
Truly Simple Fifth Third Bank Credit Card	0% for 15 months for regular purchases & balance transfers	12.24% –23.24%	None

Table: The above list is sorted alphabetically

Introductory APR Rates

One of the top features of any credit card is the introductory annual percentage rates offered for both everyday purchases and balance transfers. Many of the credit card–issuing companies may offer long introductory offers as a way to entice clients to switch to their card.

Photo Courtesy Of: Fifth Third Bank

The Commerce Bank Special Connections® card and the Truly Simple Fifth Third credit card both come with a 0% introductory offer for the both balance transfers and regular purchases. While the Commerce credit card only offers 6 months of 0% APR, the Fifth Third Bank credit card has an introductory APR for 15 months, by far the best offer of any of the cards we are reviewing here.

The TD Bank credit card Ameritrade Client Rewards offers no introductory APR special while the First Class Visa® Signature TD Rewards card does come with 0% balance transfer APR for 12 months. Since this TD Bank rewards card does offer quality rewards, however, the 0% balance transfer offer is an extra perk that many other rewards cards on the market don’t offer.

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Regular APR Rates

While most credit cards offer a variable APR depending on your credit score, the TD Bank Rewards First Class Visa® Signature card is one of the few cards on the market with a fixed-rate APR. At 13.49%, this card does offer one of the lowest rates on the market.

If you have a fair to excellent credit score, this TD credit card rewards card is the option that will lock you in to one of the lowest APRs on the market.

The other three cards we review here all have variable APRs that are consistent with the national average. The Commerce Bank credit card offers the best rate for people with great credit, starting at just 10.49%, while the Fifth Third credit card is right behind them at 12.24%.

While the slight difference between these annual percentage rates may not seem like much, if you carry a large monthly balance the differences can quickly add up.

For someone who has an average $2,000 monthly balance, the 10.49% Commerce Bank Card would leave him or her paying $209.80 in interest. If that same person were to only qualify for the highest variable rate of 23.24% APR offered by the TD Bank Credit Card Ameritrade Client Rewards, he or she would be paying $464.80 in interest.

Fees Associated

Another important factor to consider when choosing between the Special Connections® with Rewards Commerce Bank credit card, the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, the TD First Class Visa® card and the Truly Simply Fifth Third credit card is the fee associated with each of these cards.

The Special Connections® with Rewards Commerce Bank credit card, the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, and the Truly Simply Fifth Third credit card all offer no annual fee while the TD First Class Visa® card comes with an $89 annual fee. However, the TD First Class Visa® is the only card that comes with no foreign transaction fee, which is an important feature to look for if you frequently travel abroad.

Additionally, the Fifth Third credit card we review here offers no penalty rate (APR) for a missed payment. If you are juggling a number of different bills, missing a payment can be easy to do. This added benefit offered by the Fifth Third credit card can help save you money during a tight economic situation.

Rewards Programs

The rewards programs are often the most enticing part of signing up for a credit card. Who doesn’t enjoy receiving cash back or gift cards simply for spending?

Of the Special Connections® with Rewards Commerce Bank credit card, the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, the TD First Class Visa® card and the Truly Simply Fifth Third credit card, only the Fifth Third credit card doesn’t offer any sort of rewards program.

Photo Courtesy Of: TD Bank

The Commerce Bank credit card Special Connection® with Rewards allows you to earn between 1% and 3% cash back as a statement credit for purchases in select categories. Similarly, the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards credit card offers 1.5% rewards for everyday purchases. If you are interested in investing with TD Bank as well, you can receive a 10% bonus when you redeem your rewards for cash back into an eligible TD Ameritrade brokerage account.

The best rewards program among the cards we are reviewing here, however, comes with the TD First Class Visa® credit card. This TD credit card rewards card offers you triple rewards for any travel or dining expense. Coupled with the no foreign transaction fee that we mentioned above, and the TD First Class Visa® is easily one of the best travel cards out there.

Additionally, this TD rewards card offers you 25,000 bonus miles (or $250 statement credit) for spending $3,000 during the first six billing cycles of owning your card.

Conclusion

When searching for the best credit card for your personal financial needs, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only the most well-known and big-name banks.

Even if a smaller and lesser-known bank doesn’t have a physical location in the region where you live, online banking makes it easier to manage your credit cards while still benefitting from quality rewards and terms and conditions.

The Special Connections® with Rewards Commerce Bank credit card, the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, the TD First Class Visa® card and the Truly Simply Fifth Third credit card are four quality credit card options offered by smaller banks that are still large enough to offer competitive rates and some of the best rewards programs out there.

Whether you are looking for the lowest fixed APR, the best cash back program, or the top travel card for rewards, you should be able to find what you are looking for among the Special Connections® with Rewards Commerce Bank credit card, the TD Ameritrade Client Rewards Credit Card, the TD First Class Visa® card and the Truly Simply Fifth Third credit card.

AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:

Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.

Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.