diff --git a/src/components/form/paymentForm.tsx b/src/components/form/paymentForm.tsx
index 38bbc4d..3963d75 100644
--- a/src/components/form/paymentForm.tsx
+++ b/src/components/form/paymentForm.tsx
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export default function PaymentForm({value, entities, categories, onSubmit, clas
 
     const payeeRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>({} as HTMLInputElement);
     const categoryRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>({} as HTMLInputElement);
+    const submitRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>({} as HTMLButtonElement);
 
     return (
         <Form {...form}>
@@ -149,7 +150,9 @@ export default function PaymentForm({value, entities, categories, onSubmit, clas
                                         {...field}
                                         onChange={(e) => {
                                             field.onChange(e);
-                                            payeeRef && payeeRef.current.focus();
+                                            if (e && e.target.value) {
+                                                payeeRef && payeeRef.current.focus();
+                                            }
                                         }}/>
                                 </FormControl>
                                 <FormMessage/>
@@ -176,7 +179,7 @@ export default function PaymentForm({value, entities, categories, onSubmit, clas
                                                 // only focus category input if payee has no default category
                                                 if (entity?.defaultCategoryId !== null) {
                                                     form.setValue('categoryId', entity?.defaultCategoryId);
-                                                    setTimeout(() => categoryRef.current.blur(), 0);
+                                                    submitRef && submitRef.current.focus();
                                                 } else {
                                                     categoryRef && categoryRef.current.focus();
                                                 }
@@ -198,7 +201,14 @@ export default function PaymentForm({value, entities, categories, onSubmit, clas
                                     <AutoCompleteInput
                                         placeholder="Select category"
                                         items={categoriesMapped}
-                                        {...field} />
+                                        {...field}
+                                        onChange={(e) => {
+                                            field.onChange(e);
+                                            if (e && e.target.value) {
+                                                submitRef && submitRef.current.focus();
+                                            }
+                                        }}
+                                    />
                                 </FormControl>
                                 <FormMessage/>
                             </FormItem>
@@ -220,7 +230,8 @@ export default function PaymentForm({value, entities, categories, onSubmit, clas
                     )}
                 />
 
-                <Button type="submit" className="w-full">{value?.id ? 'Update Payment' : 'Create Payment'}</Button>
+                <Button type="submit" ref={submitRef}
+                        className="w-full">{value?.id ? 'Update Payment' : 'Create Payment'}</Button>
             </form>
         </Form>
     );