diff --git a/src/libs/IOUUtils.ts b/src/libs/IOUUtils.ts
index b4639e4fe93a..b93c07bbe82a 100644
--- a/src/libs/IOUUtils.ts
+++ b/src/libs/IOUUtils.ts
@@ -4,14 +4,15 @@ import CONST from '@src/CONST';
 import ROUTES from '@src/ROUTES';
 import type {OnyxInputOrEntry, PersonalDetails, Policy, Report} from '@src/types/onyx';
 import type {Attendee} from '@src/types/onyx/IOU';
+import type Transaction from '@src/types/onyx/Transaction';
 import SafeString from '@src/utils/SafeString';
 import type {IOURequestType} from './actions/IOU';
 import {getCurrencyUnit} from './CurrencyUtils';
 import Navigation from './Navigation/Navigation';
 import Performance from './Performance';
 import {isPaidGroupPolicy} from './PolicyUtils';
-import {getReportTransactions} from './ReportUtils';
-import {getCurrency, getTagArrayFromName} from './TransactionUtils';
+import {getReportTransactions, isExpenseRequest, isPolicyExpenseChat} from './ReportUtils';
+import {getCurrency, getTagArrayFromName, isMerchantMissing, isScanRequest} from './TransactionUtils';
 
 function navigateToStartMoneyRequestStep(requestType: IOURequestType, iouType: IOUType, transactionID: string, reportID: string, iouAction?: IOUAction): void {
     if (iouAction === CONST.IOU.ACTION.CATEGORIZE || iouAction === CONST.IOU.ACTION.SUBMIT || iouAction === CONST.IOU.ACTION.SHARE) {
@@ -239,6 +240,32 @@ function formatCurrentUserToAttendee(currentUser?: PersonalDetails, reportID?: s
     return [initialAttendee];
 }
 
+/**
+ * Checks if merchant is required and missing for a transaction.
+ * Merchant is required for policy expense chats, expense requests, or when any participant is a policy expense chat.
+ * For scan requests, merchant is not required unless it's a split bill being edited.
+ *
+ * @param transaction - The transaction to check
+ * @param report - The report associated with the transaction
+ * @param isEditingSplitBill - Whether this is editing a split bill
+ * @returns true if merchant is required and missing, false otherwise
+ */
+function shouldRequireMerchant(transaction: OnyxInputOrEntry<Transaction> | undefined, report: OnyxInputOrEntry<Report> | undefined, isEditingSplitBill = false): boolean {
+    if (!transaction) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // Check if merchant is required based on report type and participants
+    const isMerchantRequired = !!(isPolicyExpenseChat(report) || isExpenseRequest(report) || transaction?.participants?.some((participant) => !!participant.isPolicyExpenseChat));
+
+    // For scan requests, merchant is not required unless it's a split bill being edited
+    if (isScanRequest(transaction) && !isEditingSplitBill) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return isMerchantRequired && isMerchantMissing(transaction);
+}
+
 export {
     calculateAmount,
     insertTagIntoTransactionTagsString,
@@ -251,4 +278,5 @@ export {
     formatCurrentUserToAttendee,
     navigateToParticipantPage,
     shouldShowReceiptEmptyState,
+    shouldRequireMerchant,
 };
diff --git a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepAmount.tsx b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepAmount.tsx
index cd6bd7ea5d74..c6a18d5e9e4f 100644
--- a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepAmount.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepAmount.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import useReportIsArchived from '@hooks/useReportIsArchived';
 import useShowNotFoundPageInIOUStep from '@hooks/useShowNotFoundPageInIOUStep';
 import {setTransactionReport} from '@libs/actions/Transaction';
 import {convertToBackendAmount} from '@libs/CurrencyUtils';
-import {navigateToParticipantPage} from '@libs/IOUUtils';
+import {navigateToParticipantPage, shouldRequireMerchant} from '@libs/IOUUtils';
 import Navigation from '@libs/Navigation/Navigation';
 import {getParticipantsOption, getReportOption} from '@libs/OptionsListUtils';
 import {isPaidGroupPolicy} from '@libs/PolicyUtils';
@@ -240,8 +240,15 @@ function IOURequestStepAmount({
                 setSplitShares(transaction, amountInSmallestCurrencyUnits, selectedCurrency || CONST.CURRENCY.USD, participantAccountIDs);
             }
             setMoneyRequestParticipantsFromReport(transactionID, report, currentUserPersonalDetails.accountID).then(() => {
+                // Check if merchant is required and missing before proceeding
+                // If so, navigate to merchant step first
+                if (shouldRequireMerchant(transaction, report, isEditingSplitBill)) {
+                    Navigation.navigate(ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_MERCHANT.getRoute(action, CONST.IOU.TYPE.SUBMIT, transactionID, reportID, undefined, reportActionID));
+                    return;
+                }
                 navigateToConfirmationPage();
             });
+
             return;
         }
 
@@ -261,7 +268,9 @@ function IOURequestStepAmount({
             const resetToDefaultWorkspace = () => {
                 setTransactionReport(transactionID, {reportID: transactionReportID}, true);
                 setMoneyRequestParticipantsFromReport(transactionID, activePolicyExpenseChat, currentUserPersonalDetails.accountID).then(() => {
-                    Navigation.navigate(ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_CONFIRMATION.getRoute(CONST.IOU.ACTION.CREATE, CONST.IOU.TYPE.SUBMIT, transactionID, activePolicyExpenseChat?.reportID));
+                    Navigation.navigate(
+                        ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_MERCHANT.getRoute(action, CONST.IOU.TYPE.SUBMIT, transactionID, activePolicyExpenseChat?.reportID, undefined, reportActionID),
+                    );
                 });
             };
 
@@ -283,6 +292,10 @@ function IOURequestStepAmount({
                 const chatReportID = selectedReport?.chatReportID ?? iouReportID;
 
                 Navigation.setNavigationActionToMicrotaskQueue(() => {
+                    if (shouldRequireMerchant(transaction, selectedReport, isEditingSplitBill)) {
+                        Navigation.navigate(ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_MERCHANT.getRoute(CONST.IOU.ACTION.CREATE, navigationIOUType, transactionID, chatReportID, undefined, reportActionID));
+                        return;
+                    }
                     Navigation.navigate(ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_CONFIRMATION.getRoute(CONST.IOU.ACTION.CREATE, navigationIOUType, transactionID, chatReportID));
                 });
             } else {
diff --git a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx
index e5e7666490cd..9c4d753e331a 100644
--- a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepMerchant.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {isValidInputLength} from '@libs/ValidationUtils';
 import {setDraftSplitTransaction, setMoneyRequestMerchant, updateMoneyRequestMerchant} from '@userActions/IOU';
 import CONST from '@src/CONST';
 import ONYXKEYS from '@src/ONYXKEYS';
+import ROUTES from '@src/ROUTES';
 import type SCREENS from '@src/SCREENS';
 import INPUT_IDS from '@src/types/form/MoneyRequestMerchantForm';
 import {isEmptyObject} from '@src/types/utils/EmptyObject';
@@ -129,7 +130,15 @@ function IOURequestStepMerchant({
                 currentUserEmailParam,
                 isASAPSubmitBetaEnabled,
             );
+            navigateBack();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (!backTo) {
+            Navigation.navigate(ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_CONFIRMATION.getRoute(action, iouType, transactionID, reportID));
+            return;
         }
+
         navigateBack();
     };
 
diff --git a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepParticipants.tsx b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepParticipants.tsx
index 5a0abd341183..89157e2f78d5 100644
--- a/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepParticipants.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/iou/request/step/IOURequestStepParticipants.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {isPaidGroupPolicy} from '@libs/PolicyUtils';
 import {findSelfDMReportID, generateReportID, isInvoiceRoomWithID} from '@libs/ReportUtils';
 import {shouldRestrictUserBillableActions} from '@libs/SubscriptionUtils';
 import {endSpan} from '@libs/telemetry/activeSpans';
-import {getRequestType, isCorporateCardTransaction, isPerDiemRequest} from '@libs/TransactionUtils';
+import {getRequestType, isCorporateCardTransaction, isMerchantMissing, isPerDiemRequest} from '@libs/TransactionUtils';
 import MoneyRequestParticipantsSelector from '@pages/iou/request/MoneyRequestParticipantsSelector';
 import {
     navigateToStartStepIfScanFileCannotBeRead,
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ function IOURequestStepParticipants({
 
     // We need to set selectedReportID if user has navigated back from confirmation page and navigates to confirmation page with already selected participant
     const selectedReportID = useRef<string>(participants?.length === 1 ? (participants.at(0)?.reportID ?? reportID) : reportID);
+    const selectedParticipants = useRef<Participant[]>(participants);
     // We can assume that shouldAutoReport is true as the initial value is not used. shouldAutoReport is only used after the selectedReportID changes in addParticipant where we'd update shouldAutoReport too
     const shouldAutoReport = useRef(true);
     const numberOfParticipants = useRef(participants?.length ?? 0);
@@ -231,6 +232,7 @@ function IOURequestStepParticipants({
         (val: Participant[]) => {
             HttpUtils.cancelPendingRequests(READ_COMMANDS.SEARCH_FOR_REPORTS);
 
+            selectedParticipants.current = val;
             const firstParticipant = val.at(0);
 
             if (firstParticipant?.isSelfDM && !isSplitRequest) {
@@ -354,6 +356,9 @@ function IOURequestStepParticipants({
             return;
         }
 
+        const firstParticipant = selectedParticipants.current?.at(0);
+        const isMerchantRequired = !!firstParticipant?.isPolicyExpenseChat && isMerchantMissing(initialTransaction);
+
         const iouConfirmationPageRoute = ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_CONFIRMATION.getRoute(
             action,
             iouType === CONST.IOU.TYPE.CREATE || iouType === CONST.IOU.TYPE.TRACK ? CONST.IOU.TYPE.SUBMIT : iouType,
@@ -364,9 +369,18 @@ function IOURequestStepParticipants({
             action === CONST.IOU.ACTION.SHARE ? Navigation.getActiveRoute() : undefined,
         );
 
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-nested-ternary
         const route = isCategorizing
             ? ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_CATEGORY.getRoute(action, iouType, initialTransactionID, selectedReportID.current || reportID, iouConfirmationPageRoute)
-            : iouConfirmationPageRoute;
+            : isMerchantRequired
+              ? ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_MERCHANT.getRoute(
+                    action,
+                    iouType === CONST.IOU.TYPE.CREATE || iouType === CONST.IOU.TYPE.TRACK ? CONST.IOU.TYPE.SUBMIT : iouType,
+                    initialTransactionID,
+                    newReportID,
+                    undefined,
+                )
+              : iouConfirmationPageRoute;
 
         Performance.markStart(CONST.TIMING.OPEN_CREATE_EXPENSE_APPROVE);
         waitForKeyboardDismiss(() => {