diff --git a/src/controllers/admin/subscriptions.ts b/src/controllers/admin/subscriptions.ts
index 47422d2a..442dd372 100644
--- a/src/controllers/admin/subscriptions.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/admin/subscriptions.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { SubscriptionService } from '../../services/admin/subscription.js';
 import { stripeService } from '../../services/admin/stripe.js';
 import type { UnsuccessfulResponseBody } from '../../types/shared.js';
 import { validate } from '../validator/decorator.js';
+import { MaxAllowedTrialPeriodDays } from '../../types/constants.js';
 
 dotenv.config();
 
@@ -180,53 +181,19 @@ export class SubscriptionController {
 
 	@validate
 	async create(request: Request, response: Response) {
-		const stripe = response.locals.stripe as Stripe;
+		const body: SubscriptionCreateRequestBody = request.body;
 
-		const { price, successURL, cancelURL, quantity, idempotencyKey, trialPeriodDays } =
-			request.body satisfies SubscriptionCreateRequestBody;
-		try {
-			const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create(
-				{
-					mode: 'subscription',
-					customer: response.locals.customer.paymentProviderId,
-					line_items: [
-						{
-							price: price,
-							quantity: quantity || 1,
-						},
-					],
-					success_url: successURL,
-					cancel_url: cancelURL,
-					subscription_data: {
-						trial_settings: {
-							end_behavior: {
-								missing_payment_method: 'cancel',
-							},
-						},
-						trial_period_days: trialPeriodDays,
-					},
-					payment_method_collection: 'if_required',
-				},
-				{
-					idempotencyKey,
-				}
-			);
-
-			if (session.lastResponse?.statusCode !== StatusCodes.OK) {
-				return response.status(StatusCodes.BAD_GATEWAY).json({
-					error: 'Checkout session was not created',
-				} satisfies SubscriptionCreateUnsuccessfulResponseBody);
-			}
+		// ensure trials don't succeed 30 days (default)
+		if (!body.trialPeriodDays || body.trialPeriodDays > MaxAllowedTrialPeriodDays) {
+			body.trialPeriodDays = MaxAllowedTrialPeriodDays;
+		}
 
-			if (!session.url) {
-				return response.status(StatusCodes.BAD_GATEWAY).json({
-					error: 'Checkout session URL was not provided',
-				} satisfies SubscriptionCreateUnsuccessfulResponseBody);
+		try {
+			if (body.trialMode) {
+				return await this.startTrialForPlan(response, body);
+			} else {
+				return await this.createCheckoutSession(response, body);
 			}
-
-			return response.json({
-				sessionURL: session.url as string,
-			} satisfies SubscriptionCreateResponseBody);
 		} catch (error) {
 			return response.status(StatusCodes.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).json({
 				error: `Internal error: ${(error as Error)?.message || error}`,
@@ -234,6 +201,70 @@ export class SubscriptionController {
 		}
 	}
 
+	async createCheckoutSession(response: Response, body: SubscriptionCreateRequestBody) {
+		const stripe = response.locals.stripe as Stripe;
+		const { price, quantity = 1, cancelURL, successURL, idempotencyKey, trialPeriodDays } = body;
+
+		const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create(
+			{
+				mode: 'subscription',
+				customer: response.locals.customer.paymentProviderId,
+				line_items: [{ price, quantity }],
+				success_url: successURL,
+				cancel_url: cancelURL,
+				subscription_data: {
+					trial_period_days: trialPeriodDays,
+				},
+			},
+			{ idempotencyKey }
+		);
+
+		if (session.lastResponse?.statusCode !== StatusCodes.OK) {
+			return response.status(StatusCodes.BAD_GATEWAY).json({
+				error: 'Checkout session was not created',
+			} satisfies SubscriptionCreateUnsuccessfulResponseBody);
+		}
+
+		if (!session.url) {
+			return response.status(StatusCodes.BAD_GATEWAY).json({
+				error: 'Checkout session URL was not provided',
+			} satisfies SubscriptionCreateUnsuccessfulResponseBody);
+		}
+
+		return response.json({
+			sessionURL: session.url as string,
+		} satisfies SubscriptionCreateResponseBody);
+	}
+
+	async startTrialForPlan(response: Response, body: SubscriptionCreateRequestBody): Promise<Response> {
+		const stripe = response.locals.stripe as Stripe;
+
+		const { price, quantity = 1, trialPeriodDays } = body;
+		const subscriptionResponse = await stripe.subscriptions.create({
+			customer: response.locals.customer.paymentProviderId,
+			items: [{ price: price, quantity: quantity }],
+			payment_settings: {
+				save_default_payment_method: 'on_subscription',
+			},
+			trial_period_days: trialPeriodDays,
+			trial_settings: {
+				end_behavior: {
+					missing_payment_method: 'cancel',
+				},
+			},
+		});
+
+		if (subscriptionResponse.lastResponse.statusCode !== StatusCodes.OK) {
+			return response.status(StatusCodes.BAD_GATEWAY).json({
+				error: 'Failed to start trial plan',
+			} satisfies SubscriptionCreateUnsuccessfulResponseBody);
+		}
+
+		return response.status(StatusCodes.OK).json({
+			sessionURL: '' as string,
+		} satisfies SubscriptionCreateResponseBody);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @openapi
 	 *
diff --git a/src/controllers/api/accreditation.ts b/src/controllers/api/accreditation.ts
index 442fad62..69835c30 100644
--- a/src/controllers/api/accreditation.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/api/accreditation.ts
@@ -502,11 +502,9 @@ export class AccreditationController {
 			const resource = await res.json();
 
 			if (resource.dereferencingMetadata) {
-				return {
-					success: false,
-					status: 404,
+				return response.status(404).json({
 					error: `DID URL ${didUrl} is not found`,
-				};
+				});
 			}
 
 			const accreditation: CheqdW3CVerifiableCredential = resource;
diff --git a/src/services/identity/agent.ts b/src/services/identity/agent.ts
index 757439a7..bb8c96b7 100644
--- a/src/services/identity/agent.ts
+++ b/src/services/identity/agent.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ import {
 	DefaultStatusList2021StatusPurposeType,
 	TransactionResult,
 } from '@cheqd/did-provider-cheqd';
-import type { CheqdNetwork } from '@cheqd/sdk';
+import { ResourceModule, type CheqdNetwork } from '@cheqd/sdk';
 import { getDidKeyResolver as KeyDidResolver } from '@veramo/did-provider-key';
 import { Resolver, ResolverRegistry } from 'did-resolver';
 import { DefaultDidUrlPattern, CreateAgentRequest, VeramoAgent } from '../../types/shared.js';
@@ -305,6 +305,10 @@ export class Veramo {
 				payload,
 				network: network as CheqdNetwork,
 				signInputs: publicKeyHexs,
+				fee: {
+					amount: [ResourceModule.fees.DefaultCreateResourceDefaultFee],
+					gas: '2000000',
+				},
 			} satisfies ICheqdCreateLinkedResourceArgs);
 			return result;
 		} catch (error) {
diff --git a/src/types/admin.ts b/src/types/admin.ts
index a3266fd0..057b1ebb 100644
--- a/src/types/admin.ts
+++ b/src/types/admin.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export type SubscriptionCreateRequestBody = {
 	quantity?: number;
 	trialPeriodDays?: number;
 	idempotencyKey?: string;
+	trialMode?: boolean;
 };
 
 export type SubscriptionCreateResponseBody = {
diff --git a/src/types/constants.ts b/src/types/constants.ts
index 0aebd3af..64108d6b 100644
--- a/src/types/constants.ts
+++ b/src/types/constants.ts
@@ -151,3 +151,4 @@ export const StatusList2021Entry = 'StatusList2021Entry';
 export const JSONLD_PROOF_TYPES = ['Ed25519Signature2018', 'Ed25519Signature2020', 'JsonWebSignature2020'];
 export const DEFAULT_PAGINATION_LIST_LIMIT = 10;
 export const DefaultStudioRoleName = 'default' as const;
+export const MaxAllowedTrialPeriodDays = 30;