I'm planning a trip to Boston, and I;m thinking of getting a Charlie card (the local stored value farecard), as the fare differential between the Charliecard and the "Charlie Ticket" is substantial. In Washington, one can buy a Smartrip card (similar to a Charlie Card) for $2 plus whatever fare you want to store directly from the vending machines. From reading the MBTA website, it appears that you can't use the vending machines to buy the card, you have to go to a ticket booth at the station. However, the website is unclear about the cost for the card over and above whatever fare you load on. How does it work?