Creating a Purchase Order - an error message displays "You must select an account for this transaction." There are no entries on the Category details section.

Hi there, @paul97. Making sure you'll be able to create a purchase order in QuickBooks Online (QBO) is my priority. I got here steps to help get rid of that error. Follow along below to get this done right away.

First off, let me discuss some details about this.

In QBO, there are a few possible reasons why you receive that error when creating a purchase order. Possibly that the transaction has line items in the Account details section with no account selected. Please refer to the screenshot attached.

To resolve this, ensure that you fill in the needed information for each field of the form. For reference, check this article: Create and send purchase orders in QuickBooks Online.

On the other hand, the error will occur if the item you've added doesn't have an expense account. To verify, you'll want to check the product's details. Here's how:

1. In your QBO account, navigate to the Sales menu and click Products and Services.
2. From there, locate the item and select Edit under the Action column.
3. Next, check the Purchasing information box and choose an Expense account in the drop-down.
4. Once done, click Save and close.

For guidance, feel free to check this link: Change the account for a product/service item.

I'd love to know how this goes. If you have any other concerns about creating a purchase order in QBO, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. I'm just a post away to lend a hand. Have a great week ahead and take care.