New online geocoder url returns different x,y co-ordinates for the same address

[VaishaliShah]

Several years back we used the following Service URL to geocode addresses: arcweb.esri.com/services/v2/AddressFinder

We upgraded our application to the new URL for geocoding: premiumtasks.arcgisonline.com/Server/services/Locater/TA_Addresses_NA/GeocodeServer

Recently we noticed that the for the same physical building address the new ESRI geocode service returns slightly different x,y co-ordinates. This is causing problems for us as we use the x,y co-ordinates as a key in our application database and are unable to reconcile our data with older records.

We need some help in identifying the cause of the problem and the steps required to resolve it.

[MollyZurn]

The underlying data used in the ArcGIS Online locator service is updated about every three months. For this reason, some locations may change (due to updates in the data) and therefore it is not a recommended practice to use XY coordinates as keys in your database.

-Molly