[$250] DEV: User is not navigated back after saving merchant

[izarutskaya]

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Version Number:
Reproducible in staging?: Needs Reproduction (Unable to check in DEV)
Reproducible in production?: Needs Reproduction (Unable to check in DEV)
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack:
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers):
Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856
Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:
Issue reported by: @bernhardoj
Slack conversation (hyperlinked to channel name): #expensify_bugs

Action Performed:

1. Open any workspace chat
2. Press + > Create expense > Manual
3. Enter any amount and go next
4. Press the Merchant field
5. Enter any value and press Save

Expected Result:

The user should be redirected back to the confirmation page

Actual Result:

The user stays on the merchant page

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

Select the officially supported platforms where the issue was reproduced:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screenshots/Videos

w.mp4

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Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @abzokhattab

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~022029236841107719748
• Upwork Job ID: 2029236841107719748
• Last Price Increase: 2026-03-04

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @kadiealexander (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[MelvinBot]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

When creating an expense via the Manual flow (workspace chat → + → Create expense → Manual → enter amount → next → Merchant field → enter value → Save), the user is not navigated back to the confirmation page after saving the merchant. The user stays stuck on the merchant page.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The updateMerchant submit handler in src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx (lines 106-134) never calls navigateBack() after saving the merchant value. The function saves the data to Onyx via setMoneyRequestMerchant() but then simply returns without triggering any navigation.

The navigateBack function is defined at line 83-85 and is wired to the header back button, but it is never invoked from the form submit handler.

This contrasts with other working step pages that all explicitly call navigateBack() at the end of their submit handlers:

• IOURequestStepDate.tsx — updateDate calls navigateBack() in every code path (lines 81, 88, 114)
• IOURequestStepTag.tsx — updateTag calls navigateBack() in every code path (lines 138, 158, 163)
• IOURequestStepCategory.tsx — updateCategory calls navigateBack() in every code path (lines 129, 149, 163)

FormProvider does not auto-navigate after onSubmit — it only dismisses the keyboard and calls the callback (FormProvider.tsx:264). Navigation is the responsibility of each step's submit handler.

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Add navigateBack() calls to every code path in the updateMerchant function in src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx, following the pattern used by the Date, Tag, and Category steps:

1. After the split bill early return (line 112): add navigateBack() before return
2. After the no-change early return (line 116): add navigateBack() before return
3. At the end of the function (after line 133): add navigateBack()

Note: IOURequestStepDescription.tsx (lines 133-167) has the same missing navigateBack() pattern in its updateComment handler. It may be worth fixing both in the same PR.

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Next Steps for Contributor+ team: Reply with @MelvinBot implement this to create a draft PR, or @MelvinBot <your feedback> to refine this analysis.

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @abzokhattab (External)

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~022029236841107719748

[situchan]

regression from #78291

[bilalup]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

When creating a manual expense in a workspace chat, after entering a merchant value and clicking Save, the user remains on the merchant edit page instead of being automatically redirected back to the confirmation page.

What is the root cause of that problem?

File: src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx

The updateMerchant function (lines 97-126) successfully saves the merchant data but never calls any navigation function to return to the confirmation page. After saving, the function simply ends or returns, leaving the user on the same screen.

Looking at the function structure:

App/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx

Lines 106 to 134 in 2c9b7ab

	const updateMerchant = (value: FormOnyxValues<typeof ONYXKEYS.FORMS.MONEY_REQUEST_MERCHANT_FORM>) => {
	setHasUnsavedChanges(false);
	const newMerchant = value.moneyRequestMerchant?.trim();
	if (isEditingSplitBill) {
	setDraftSplitTransaction(transactionID, splitDraftTransaction, {merchant: newMerchant});
	return;
	}
	if (newMerchant === merchant || (newMerchant === '' && merchant === CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT)) {
	return;
	}
	setMoneyRequestMerchant(transactionID, newMerchant || CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT, !isEditing);
	if (isEditing) {
	updateMoneyRequestMerchant({
	transactionID,
	transactionThreadReport: report,
	parentReport,
	value: newMerchant || CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT,
	policy,
	policyTagList: policyTags,
	policyCategories,
	currentUserAccountIDParam,
	currentUserEmailParam,
	isASAPSubmitBetaEnabled,
	parentReportNextStep,
	});
	}
	};

All three paths save the data but none tell the app to go back to the confirmation page. The backTo parameter (which contains the route to return to) is available but never used after save.

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Add Navigation.goBack(backTo) in three places within the updateMerchant function - after each successful save operation:

Current code (lines 106-134):

App/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx

Lines 106 to 134 in 2c9b7ab

	const updateMerchant = (value: FormOnyxValues<typeof ONYXKEYS.FORMS.MONEY_REQUEST_MERCHANT_FORM>) => {
	setHasUnsavedChanges(false);
	const newMerchant = value.moneyRequestMerchant?.trim();
	if (isEditingSplitBill) {
	setDraftSplitTransaction(transactionID, splitDraftTransaction, {merchant: newMerchant});
	return;
	}
	if (newMerchant === merchant || (newMerchant === '' && merchant === CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT)) {
	return;
	}
	setMoneyRequestMerchant(transactionID, newMerchant || CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT, !isEditing);
	if (isEditing) {
	updateMoneyRequestMerchant({
	transactionID,
	transactionThreadReport: report,
	parentReport,
	value: newMerchant || CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT,
	policy,
	policyTagList: policyTags,
	policyCategories,
	currentUserAccountIDParam,
	currentUserEmailParam,
	isASAPSubmitBetaEnabled,
	parentReportNextStep,
	});
	}
	};

Proposed changes:

const updateMerchant = (value: FormOnyxValues<typeof ONYXKEYS.FORMS.MONEY_REQUEST_MERCHANT_FORM>) => {
    setHasUnsavedChanges(false);
    const newMerchant = value.moneyRequestMerchant?.trim();

    if (isEditingSplitBill) {
        setDraftSplitTransaction(transactionID, splitDraftTransaction, {merchant: newMerchant});
        Navigation.goBack(backTo);  // CHANGE 1: Navigate back after split bill save
        return;
    }

    if (newMerchant === merchant || (newMerchant === '' && merchant === CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT)) {
        Navigation.goBack(backTo);  // CHANGE 2: Navigate back even if no changes (user expects to return)
        return;
    }
    
    setMoneyRequestMerchant(transactionID, newMerchant || CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT, !isEditing);
    if (isEditing) {
        updateMoneyRequestMerchant({
            transactionID,
            transactionThreadReport: report,
            parentReport,
            value: newMerchant || CONST.TRANSACTION.PARTIAL_TRANSACTION_MERCHANT,
            policy,
            policyTagList: policyTags,
            policyCategories,
            currentUserAccountIDParam,
            currentUserEmailParam,
            isASAPSubmitBetaEnabled,
            parentReportNextStep,
        });
    }
    Navigation.goBack(backTo);  // CHANGE 3: Navigate back after regular save
};

Summary of changes:

Line Change Purpose
Line 112 Add Navigation.goBack(backTo); before return; Navigate back after saving split bill draft
Line 116 Add Navigation.goBack(backTo); before return; Navigate back even when no changes were made
Line 135 Add Navigation.goBack(backTo); at end of function Navigate back after successfully saving merchant
These three additions ensure that every possible successful save path navigates back to the confirmation page, matching user expectations.

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Considered using the existing navigateBack function, but it's only attached to the back button, not the Save button

Considered adding navigation in the FormProvider props, but no suitable callback exists

Considered wrapping navigation in setTimeout to handle state updates, but setHasUnsavedChanges(false) already runs at the beginning of the function, making this unnecessary

Result:
After applying these changes, the user is properly navigated back to the confirmation page after saving the merchant. The DiscardChangesConfirmation modal may appear on the first save attempt (existing app behavior), but clicking "No" and saving again works as expected.

Result:

afterfix7.mp4