Simple, efficient way to update records?

Probably need cookies.

[dickbaker]

This is probably going to be a long post, so please bear with me.

I'm starting a subscriber site, and am giving subscribers six free months of being able to have all sorts of info available to visitors that comes from two different databases: a subscriber database ("subscriber"), and from a classifieds database ("classifieds") that uses an inner join to joing username, password and access level from the "subscriber" database to be able to enter or update data in the "classifieds" database

However, when the six-month trial subscription period runs out, I'm going to have a credit card page where those trial subscribers who want to renew can do so online. At the same time, I know there will be trial subscribers who won't want to use credit cards online, but whom I will have to call on the phone.

For those who are willing to renew online, I'd like to be able to have the credit card page automatically update their records in four different fields: subscription_date, subscription_length (ie, six months, 12 months), access_level (ie, paid versus trial), and one other field called "star" that puts a star gif next to their business name if they're current trial subscribers or have renewed their subscriptions at the end of the trial period.

This seems like a task for cookies, but I'm not sure how to efficiently update those fields. Moreover, I'm concerned about someone being able to manipulate the cookies and cheat me out of a few bucks.

Much of this project will entail my having to manually enter data as subscribers either renew or choose not to renew. For those who are comfortable with renewing online, I'd lie to make this as painless as possible.

Any suggestions as to how to write the cookies and the ASP to most efficiently accomplish this task?

Any and all replies are much appreciated.

[raywood]

If the user makes it to the renewal page you must already have some kind of session id. What benefit would you gain from using any additional cookies? Most sites will verify the user at login. If it's a current member in good standing, just let them in. If not, redirect them to the renewal page.

The renewal page can check the session id to find out who the user is if you store the name in the session object during the login. If you're using original ASP just use the session id cookie in the session object. If you're using ASP.NET you don't even need that. ASP.NET auttomatically inserts id's in the http header kind of like cookies. Let the page update the account after the credit card is verified.

[mattglet]

Are you just trying to keep track of when someone's trial is over? If so, just make a field in the database consisting of the signup date. Upon every login, check to see how many days/months/whatever have passed since the original signup. If they are over their limit, then restrict their access, or jump them to the order page.
After a person orders, and you verify that all info is good, then your code could just update the info and the user's status will then be correct. Sorry if I'm not understanding.

-Matt