What is an annual spend target?

How does an annual spend target work?

A card that carries a renewing benefit can tie that benefit to spending rather than to the annual fee alone. The issuer names a threshold, a period over which spend is counted, and the reward released when the threshold is met. Because the condition repeats, the same benefit can be earned in successive periods. The threshold is set card by card: on the two Barclaycard Avios cards the target is £20,000 on one and £10,000 on the other, both framed as spend "within 12 months" [2] [3].

That is what separates an annual spend target from a welcome bonus. A welcome bonus minimum spend is met once, shortly after the account opens, and the bonus is paid once; an annual spend target comes back around. The two often sit on the same card. A cardholder new to Barclaycard collects 5,000 Avios on the Barclaycard Avios credit card by spending £1,000 in the first three months [2], and 25,000 Avios on the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card by spending £3,000 in the first three months [3]. Both cards then carry a separate 12-month cabin upgrade voucher target [2] [3]. The welcome bonus can be collected once only, and a cardholder switching between the two Avios cards is not eligible for a second one [2] [3]. For the one-off side of the calculation, see minimum spend.

Barclaycard measures the £20,000 and £10,000 targets over "within 12 months" and issues one cabin upgrade voucher for every 12-month period in which the spending target has been reached [2] [3]. See also cardmember year.

What targets do the Barclaycard Avios cards set?

The two Barclaycard Avios cards carry the target, and the monthly fee sits on the card with the lower threshold. [7]

The benefit is not a one-off. Barclaycard says a cardholder collects one cabin upgrade voucher for every 12-month period in which the spending target has been reached [2] [3]. Avios collected on either card are transferred to the linked British Airways Club account on the second working day of the next month [2] [3]. Earning rates and fees on the two cards are compared in Avios credit cards in the UK compared.

What spend counts toward an annual spend target?

Barclaycard sets out which transactions earn Avios on the card. Purchases, balance transfers and money transfers within the credit limit earn Avios; transactions that make up the cash balance, namely cash withdrawals, wire transfers and buying currency, do not [2] [3]. Transactions later returned or refunded earn nothing, and neither does any amount spent above the agreed credit limit [2] [3].

Spend on a card the cardholder is leaving behind does not carry over. When a cardholder switches between the two Avios cards, money spent on the existing Barclaycard Avios card does not count toward the spending targets for extra rewards on the new card [2] [3].

Related concepts are eligible card spend and card earning cap.

What happens if you miss an annual spend target?

The voucher is tied to the period in which the target is met. Barclaycard issues one cabin upgrade voucher for every 12-month period in which the spending target has been reached, so a period that closes short of the target does not produce a voucher for that period [2] [3]. When the target is reached, the cardholder chooses between the cabin upgrade voucher and 7,000 bonus Avios [2] [3].

A missed welcome bonus target works differently, because it is not repeated. Barclaycard says that a cardholder who does not hit the spending target in time does not receive the welcome bonus [2] [3].

Exceptions and limits

• The voucher has to be used at booking. A cabin upgrade voucher must be applied when the Avios Reward Flight is booked and cannot be added to an existing booking [2] [3].
• One cabin, not two. The voucher moves the booking up by one cabin class where a seat is available, for example from Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) to Business (Club World), and cannot be used to upgrade a booking into a First class cabin [2] [3]. Taxes, fees and carrier charges per person still apply [2] [3].
• A 24-month window. The British Airways Club member must book the Avios Reward Flight, and travel must have commenced within the 24 months following the date the voucher was issued [2] [3]. The rules for the reward ticket itself are covered under companion ticket.
• Where the voucher appears. Barclaycard says a voucher can take up to five working days to appear in the British Airways Club account, where it sits in the "Member vouchers" section; it cannot be seen in the Barclays or Barclaycard app, or in the British Airways or Avios apps [2] [3].
• Annual benefits can work differently. The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card includes 15 Elite Night Credits, with a maximum of 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year even if the cardholder holds more than one Marriott Bonvoy credit card account or more than one Marriott Bonvoy programme account; the basic cardmember's card account must be in good standing and linked to a Marriott Bonvoy account in the same name, and the credits take approximately eight weeks from the card approval date to reach the loyalty account [6].
• Premium benefits vary by card. American Express UK lists airport lounge access and 2-4-1 travel vouchers among the benefits of its premium cards [6].

Frequently asked questions

Is an annual spend target the same as a welcome bonus minimum spend?

No. A welcome bonus minimum spend is met once, shortly after the account opens, and the bonus is paid once, whereas an annual spend target returns each period and releases a benefit that can be earned again [2] [3].

Do the two Barclaycard Avios cards have the same spend target?

No. As of 18 October 2026 the Barclaycard Avios credit card requires £20,000 within 12 months and the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card requires £10,000 within 12 months [2] [3] [7].

What can you take instead of the cabin upgrade voucher?

On both cards the cardholder chooses between a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher for an Avios Reward Flight booking and 7,000 bonus Avios [2] [3].

What happens if you miss the annual spend target?

Barclaycard issues one cabin upgrade voucher for every 12-month period in which the spending target has been reached, so a period in which the target is missed does not produce a voucher for that period; the welcome bonus has its own separate rule that a missed target means no bonus [2] [3].

How long do you have to use a Barclaycard cabin upgrade voucher?

The British Airways Club member must book the Avios Reward Flight and travel must have commenced within the 24 months following the date of issue of the voucher [2] [3].

Related pages

Minimum spend, eligible card spend, cardmember year, card earning cap, companion ticket, Avios credit cards in the UK compared, and the full Frequent Flyer Encyclopedia glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the UK Barclaycard Avios and Barclaycard Avios Plus credit cards and the American Express UK card overview; airline-side rules for companion and upgrade vouchers, hotel free-night certificates and cards from other issuers are not covered here.

1. Barclaycard Avios credit card, checked 18 October 2026
2. Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card, checked 18 October 2026
3. American Express UK credit cards, checked 18 October 2026
4. Barclaycard all credit cards, checked 18 October 2026