The above tells it all.

Gach u nub jk. you can spend it on the cash shop and get cool hairstylez or clothing

Points are just like nexon, but they're free.
Go wild.

Nexon gives them out for whatever. They serve the same purpose as NX cash, but you can't use them and NX cash in the same purpose. If you have 1000 Maple Points and 5,000 NX cash, you can only buy something worth up to 1000 with the Maple Points.

Also: Nexon owes me 2,000 Maple Points they said they'd give everyone that owned a rudolph hat during that bug. I had one for my Reindeer (Spuds : DDDDDDD), and they didn't give me the cash.

and they didn't give me the cash.

Its a patch thing. I'd wait until the next patch then complain to them if you don't get it.