Modifying a database using an identification form

An article of manufacture for identifying a user in a database, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied therein that causes a computer to perform the steps of:

• (a) storing user account information in a user record in an electronic format in a computer database file;
• (b) marking the user record as being incomplete;
• (c) generating an identification form by pre-encoding the user account information on the identification form and providing the identification form to a user, wherein the identification form comprises an area for identification features;
• (d) obtaining on the identification form an identifying feature from the user;
• (e) reading and electronically encoding a user identifying feature from the identification form and storing the encoded user identifying feature in an electronic format in the computer database file, and associating the encoded user identifying feature with the encoded user account information in the user record in the computer database file;
• (f) analyzing the user identifying feature, and if the user identifying feature is unreadable, notifying the user that the user identifying feature is unreadable, providing a replacement identification form to the user, and terminating the method;
• (g) when the user identifying feature is readable, searching and comparing the user identifying feature to all previously stored user identifying features in the computer database file for a match;
• (h) when there is a match between the user identifying feature and one of the previously stored user identifying features in the computer database file, marking the user records associated with the user identifying feature and the previously stored user identifying feature, and terminating the method;
• and
• (i) when there is no match between the user identifying feature and one of the previously stored user identifying features in the computer database file, marking the user record stored in the computer database file as complete.