We weren’t aware that the possibility of Apple entering the banking industry was so real that it warranted a study to measure consumer interest, but marketing and research consultancy KAE claims an entry into the field is so plausible, it would be hard for Apple to resist. Such a move might not be well received, however; in a survey conducted by Toluna on behalf of KAE, just 10% of the 5,000 respondents polled said they would consider letting Apple handle their day-to-day banking needs. Read on for more.

Of the 500 or so respondents who said they would ponder a move to the Bank of Apple, 81% are described as technology savvy consumers who currently bank online. Interest was fairly high among those surveyed who were already Apple customers, with 43% saying they would consider a move from their current bank to Apple, and the primary reason given by people who said they might bank with Apple was trust.

“Apple would face no capital constraints in building a deposits base,” KAE managing director David Rankin said in a statement. “With a proven ability to cross-sell additional products, along with the highest sales per square foot of any retailer and an affluent customer base, it wouldn’t take long for Apple to become one of the most profitable consumer banks in recent times.”

Rankin continued, “Once the power of the Apple brand and its options for growth are understood, it tends to prompt one of three responses from financial institutions: accelerated invention, defensive benchmarking or blissful issue avoidance. We know that not everyone would be impressed by the arrival of an ‘iBank’; we also know that the boldness of the next big Apple move will inspire and terrify in equal measure.”

When asked how likely Apple’s entry into banking might be, Chief Commercial Officer at KAE Lee Powney stated, “When you look at the possible cross fertilisation effects on purchases of moving this amount of cash into the model, and the resulting increases in preference for its platform from developers and content owners, it would take a remarkable display of discipline to resist. However it would be very ‘un-Apple’ to simply enter into a market without changing the terms of competition.”

Apple announced earlier this week that it will devote approximately $45 billion of its cash stockpile, which now likely totals more than $100 billion, to a dividend and share repurchase program.