You may have received gift cards as presents this holiday season, or you may have some tucked away in a drawer or in your wallet for safe keeping.

They are so prevalent that almost half of all adults have at least one gift card, and the combined total value of those cards stands at about $23 billion just waiting to be used, according to a survey from Bankrate.

Many retailers and restaurants are encouraging folks to use their gift cards this month, which can be a slower time for businesses.

Use it before you lose it. If a gift card is lost or stolen and someone else uses it, you likely won’t be issued a replacement even if you have the receipt. If you do misplace the card and have the receipt, reach out first to the store or restaurant that issued it.

If the gift card was purchased from a location such as a grocery store or convenience store that sells gift cards from other chain retailers or restaurants, go to the store or restaurant directly or search their website for a telephone number for customer service. In either case, explain what happened, provide proof of purchase if possible, and ask if they will issue a new card.

Although some gift cards may look like credit or debit cards with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express logo on the front, they do not come with the same consumer protections as a credit or debit card if lost or stolen. You would need to contact the issuer to see if they would be willing to replace the card.

Before using the card, read the fine print on the packaging. Some gift cards may have fees attached that will diminish the value of the card over time such as monthly “maintenance” or “dormancy” fees if the card is not used within a few months. If that’s the case, you’ll want to use the card promptly to receive full face value.

Sometimes companies go out of business. Unfortunately, you may not hear about it until the store has closed and it’s too late to use your gift card. In that case, contact the business as soon as possible, but know that recovering the unused balance after the fact may be difficult or impossible, depending on the situation. If you are unable to resolve the situation on your own, contact the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office at 617-727-8400 for guidance.

Gift certificates with the value printed on paper rather than loaded on a card should have both the date of issuance and the expiration date printed on it. They should be valid for at least seven years.

If buying gift cards, examine them carefully. Verify that none of the protective stickers have been removed and that the packaging is intact. Also make certain that the codes on the back of the card have not been scratched off to reveal the PIN number. If possible, buy a card that has been stored behind the counter rather than on a display where anyone has access to the cards and could tamper with them. Report cards that appear to be tampered with to the store selling them.

Remember that gift cards are gifts and not payments. No legitimate business and no government agency will ask you or require you to pay for a product, service, taxes or fees using a gift card.

If you have a problem using a gift card or gift certificate, first contact the business or bank that issued the card. If the problem can’t be resolved, you may wish to file a consumer complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office online at mass.gov/how-to/file-a-consumer-complaint or by contacting the Consumer Protection Unit at 413-586-9225 in Northampton or 413-774-3186 in Greenfield for a paper copy of the complaint form.

Anita Wilson is director of the Consumer Protection Unit at the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. She writes a regular column for the Business section.