E-COUPON SERVICE FOR LOCATION-AWARE MOBILE COMMERCE WHICH DETERMINES WHETHER TO SUPPLY REQUESTED E-COUPONS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS RECEIVED IN A PROCESSING CYCLE, AND A THRESHOLD NUMBER OF REQUESTS REQUIRED TO MAKE EXPECTED RETURNS FROM REDEEMED COUPONS GREATER THAN ADVERTISING FEES

A conditional e-coupon distribution method distributes e-coupons predefined by sellers to mobile users only if the number of mobile users requesting such e-coupons equals or exceeds a threshold. The method receives a request to browse e-coupons from a mobile user. The method receives the location of the mobile user and determines a plurality of sellers local to the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from the local sellers. The method receives a request for a particular e-coupon from a seller and authorizes the provision of said e-coupon to the mobile user. At the end of a processing cycle, the mobile user receives the requested e-coupon if all conditions, such as a period of time and threshold, have been met. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein allows for storage of the method.