A system includes one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of: receiving, from a user computer, a destructive read request including header information indicating that a record stored in a persistent database is to be deleted after the record is successfully read from the persistent database; in response to receiving the destructive read request, retrieving the record, which was identified by the destructive read request, from the persistent database; after retrieving the record, receiving a success signal that confirms that the record was successfully read from the persistent database; and in response to receiving the success signal, automatically deleting the record, which was identified by the destructive read request, from the persistent database without receiving another instruction to delete the record. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.