Why does QuickBooks Online keep changing my transaction category back after I fix it, and how do I stop it?

This is almost always a bank rule still doing its job, not a bug or a browser problem. QuickBooks automatically re-applies your rules to anything sitting in the For Review tab, so if a transaction hasn't been posted yet, a rule matching its description or bank text will keep resetting it to its own category every time the rule runs, which is exactly why the fix seems to "undo itself" as soon as you touch another transaction.

1. Find the rule that's overriding your change.

Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Rules. Look for a rule that matches this transaction's description or bank text and sets its category to Owner's Pay (or whatever it keeps reverting to). If you're not sure which rule is firing, open the transaction in Bank transactions: a RULE badge in the Category field tells you a rule applied it, and selecting the transaction shows you which rule.

2. Edit the rule, or turn it off for this case.

From the Rules page, use the Actions dropdown to edit, disable, or delete the rule. If you still want it to run for other transactions but not this one, add a more specific condition (for example, match the exact description) so it no longer catches this transaction, or give it lower priority than a more specific rule you create for this vendor.

3. Post the transaction instead of leaving it under review.

Rules only keep re-applying to transactions still sitting in For Review. Once you set the correct category and select Post (or Add), the transaction moves out of review and rules stop touching it.

A couple of related settings worth knowing about:

• If nothing in Rules explains it, check Enable suggested categorization. In Bank transactions, select Settings (the gear), and uncheck it if you'd rather categorize everything manually without QuickBooks's own suggestions in the mix.
• Rules run in priority order, with the highest-priority rule applying first. If two rules could both match this transaction, reorder them from the Rules page so the one you want wins.

For the full steps on creating, editing, and prioritizing rules: Set up bank rules to categorize online banking transactions in QuickBooks Online. For the general review-and-categorize workflow, including the suggested categorization toggle: Categorize online bank transactions in QuickBooks Online.

If you check Rules and nothing matches, and the transaction has already been posted (not just sitting in review) and still keeps reverting, that's worth a closer look with support, since posted transactions shouldn't be touched by rules at all.