Hello there, Robin.

I appreciate you sharing your experience on the recent updates on QuickBooks Online (QBO). I understand that software updates can alter the functionality of certain features, potentially resulting in a different experience for users like yourself. 

All subscriptions of QBO offer the feature to apply expenses to open bills. To do this, you need to select the Accounts Payable account for the transactions. Here is a workaround you can follow. Also, bill payment is the same as pay bills.

Create an expense:

1. Go to the + New button.
2. Select Expense.
3. Choose the Payee. A tab will appear on the right side for the bill you need to pay.
4. Under the Category details, select Accounts Payable (A/P) for the CATEGORY.
5. Make sure to put the amount you need to pay for the open bill.
6. Click Save and close.

Apply the expense to the open bill:

1. Go to the + New button.
2. Select Pay bills.
3. Under the Payee column, locate the vendor.
4. Tick the box of the vendor with the correct open balance.
5. Click Save. And wait for a prompt saying the bill is paid.

Additionally, there is no option to revert to the older versions, I suggest submitting feedback directly to our product engineers. They're responsible for deciding which features will be added in the future.

To send your request:

1. Go to the Gear icon.
2. Select Feedback.
3. Enter your comments or product suggestions.
4. Tap Next to submit.

Furthermore, updates are internal changes, and we're unable to confirm if these are permanent since our product engineers implement updates based on user feedback.

I've attached a helpful article on how to track bills and record the payments: Enter and manage bills and bill payments in QuickBooks Online.

If you have any further questions about this matter, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Stay safe.