Legal analysis: You can apply, but you cannot obtain patent authorization. You can apply because the law does not prohibit any patent subject matter that cannot be applied for. The reason why it cannot be authorized is that Article 25 of my country’s Patent Law stipulates several topics that are not subject to patent rights in China, including: rules and methods of intellectual activities. The "sales method and process" belong to the rules and methods of intellectual activities, so they cannot be authorized.
Legal basis: "Patent Law of the People's Republic of China" Article 22 Inventions and utility models for which patent rights are granted shall possess novelty, creativity and practicality.
Novelty means that the invention or utility model does not belong to the existing technology; no unit or individual has applied for the same invention or utility model to the patent administration department of the State Council before the application date, and It shall be recorded in patent application documents or published patent documents published after the filing date.
Creativity means that compared with the existing technology, the invention has outstanding substantive features and significant progress, and the utility model has substantive features and progress.
Practiceability means that the invention or utility model can be manufactured or used and can produce positive effects.
The term "existing technology" as used in this Law refers to the technology that was known to the public at home and abroad before the filing date.