I can help you isolate the issue when paying bills in QuickBooks Online, @mohavehitch-gmai.
QuickBooks Online runs fast by using cache and cookies. However, these stored data can get corrupted, resulting in possible errors. Open your QBO company in a private window to identify the problem. To access an incognito window in Safari, simply press Command + Shift + N.
Once logged in, go to Pay Bills from the +New menu. If you can select and pay the bills without any problems, return to your regular browser and clear its cache and cookies to remove the junk files that have been kept.
If the problem persists, I suggest using Google Chrome. It's possible that the software is experiencing a temporary issue with Safari.
For future reference, learn the difference between bills, checks, and expenses in QBO.
Also, I'm adding an additional resource to guide you in keeping track and managing vendor reports in QBO: Run and customize reports in QBO.
You can always get back to us by leaving a reply to this thread. The Community will be glad to help you further if you have other concerns handling bills. Don't overwork yourself and take care.