Affiliate ID: ';
				var_export($affiliateId);
				echo "\n\n";
				echo $refKey;
				throw new Exception( __( 'invalid refkey data.', 'wpam' ) );
			}

			//#37 make sure the affiliate is active before tracking stats
			$affiliate = $affiliateRepos->load( $affiliateId );
			if ( ! $affiliate->isActive() )
				return;

			$idGenerator = new WPAM_Tracking_UniqueIdGenerator();
			$trackTokenModel = new WPAM_Data_Models_TrackingTokenModel();

			$trackTokenModel->dateCreated = time();
			$trackTokenModel->sourceAffiliateId = $affiliateId;
			$trackTokenModel->sourceCreativeId = $refKey->getCreativeId();
			$trackTokenModel->trackingKey = $idGenerator->generateId();
			$trackTokenModel->referer = isset( $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] ) ? $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] : NULL;

			if ( isset( $request['wpam_affiliateSubCode'] ) ) {
				$trackTokenModel->affiliateSubCode = $request['affiliateSubCode'];
			}

			$db->getTrackingTokenRepository()->insert( $trackTokenModel );
			$db->getEventRepository()->quickInsert( time(), $trackTokenModel->trackingKey, 'visit' );

			$binConverter = new WPAM_Util_BinConverter();
			// store the tracking key in a cookie so we can monitor their activities
			$return = setcookie( WPAM_PluginConfig::$RefKey,
								 $binConverter->binToString( $trackTokenModel->trackingKey ),
								 $this->getExpireTime(),
								 COOKIEPATH );
		}
	}

	protected function getExpireTime() {
		$days = get_option( WPAM_PluginConfig::$CookieExpireOption );
		if ( $days == 0 )
			return 0;

		return strtotime( "+{$days} days" );
	}
}