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Pepper has hit back at a mainstream media article that it said contained "misleading and incorrect statements" about its business.
An article in The Australian criticised the "unwanted return" of low-doc loans and alleged that low-doc loans "have become even easier to obtain as lending standards loosen".
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The article also said that non-bank lenders have been "aggressively spruiking the controversial products by slashing interest rates and offering cashback giveaways and cruises".
Pepper responded with a statement that said it adheres to NCCP requirements at all times.
"We follow the same rigorous guidelines and labour-intensive process any major bank would apply to lending, including close and regular contact with the borrower, thorough verification of all income and supporting documentation supplied, and assessing the borrower's ability to repay a loan without hardship," it said.
"On top of that, a Pepper representative speaks to every self-employed borrower to take them through their loan to ensure they have confidence that they can meet their commitments both now and in the future."
Pepper also said that it "strictly complies" with official methods of income verification.
"What Pepper does in conjunction with our broker partners is help borrowers ... find alternative ways to verify their income so they can secure finance," the statement said.
"These alternative ways of verifying income – for example the latest six months business banking statements – are in many cases more reflective of the current state of a business and over time have proven to be more accurate than 18-month-old tax returns."
[Related: Pepper boosts loan processing]
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