I think these circumstances are different. American Express may hold open an invitation for a prospective cardholder, but there is anecdotal evidence that a Centurion cardholder who cancels is not automatically welcome to re-apply -and- that the initiation fee needs to be paid again if accepted a second time. This combination of uncertainty and expense is an effective technique to encourage Centurion cardholders to wait and see rather than cancel when benefits disappear.