SBI Cards is actually run by GE Capitals. This means that SBI has practically no control over the processes or employees of SBI Cards. If you get a card and get going - normally it won’t be an issue. But if you require support, you may be in for trouble and you won’t know it. The customer service staff are friendly but the support line is grossly understaffed (which means hold time of 30 minutes or more if you need to talk to a support person) and they have no idea of handling abnormal situations.
My dad-in-law ran from pillar to post to get a fraudulent transaction reversed. He is an ex-officer of SBI bank and found that he just could not reach somebody who could help him here. Finally we found a gentleman in GE capitals through one of my friends and he helped resolve the dispute. Today we know that his card is ’blocked’ and don’t know if it has been ’canceled’ as per our request. And don’t know what it will take to get that done. The responsible people, as printed on their bills and the web-site, are grossly irresponsible and unresponsive.
So you are pretty much on your own after you got your card. In my dad-in-law’s case, it was his agent who commited the fraudulent transaction and he has not been penalized for that yet (in spite of an FIR in a police station and numerous mails to various people in SBI cards and SBI bank).
This is why SBI cards is very risky - it you need help, I doubt there will be anybody out there to help you. Otherwise it is just another card - nothing good or bad about it.