Imagine a couple planning a family trip to the nation’s capital for Independence Day. They book their flight into Dulles and their hotel, and they start to plan their local transportation. They learn that Dulles has gotten a Metro station since the last time they visited, so they do some research.

They read four local news stories about a new feature in the D.C. Metro system: Riders can now enter the system simply by tapping a credit card at the fare gate — no fare card needed!