diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/service/UserService.java b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/service/UserService.java
index a718d4197..2969d0d8b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/service/UserService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/service/UserService.java
@@ -376,6 +376,47 @@ public User createUser(UserDTO userDTO, Optional<Integer> tokenValidDays, Option
         return user;
     }
 
+    private Optional<UserDTO> updateUserFromUserDTO(UserDTO userDTO) {
+        Optional<UserDTO> updatedUserDTO = Optional.of(userRepository
+        .findById(userDTO.getId()))
+        .filter(Optional::isPresent)
+        .map(Optional::get)
+        .map(user -> {
+            this.clearUserCaches(user);
+            user.setLogin(userDTO.getLogin().toLowerCase());
+            user.setFirstName(userDTO.getFirstName());
+            user.setLastName(userDTO.getLastName());
+            if (userDTO.getEmail() != null) {
+                user.setEmail(userDTO.getEmail().toLowerCase());
+            }
+            user.setImageUrl(userDTO.getImageUrl());
+            user.setActivationKey(userDTO.getActivationKey());
+            user.setResetKey(userDTO.getResetKey());
+            user.setResetDate(userDTO.getResetDate());
+            if (userDTO.isActivated() != user.getActivated()) {
+                user.setActivated(userDTO.isActivated());
+                user.setActivationKey(null);
+                user.setResetKey(null);
+                user.setResetDate(null);
+            }
+            user.setLangKey(userDTO.getLangKey());
+            Set<Authority> managedAuthorities = user.getAuthorities();
+            managedAuthorities.clear();
+            userDTO.getAuthorities().stream()
+                .map(authorityRepository::findById)
+                .filter(Optional::isPresent)
+                .map(Optional::get)
+                .forEach(managedAuthorities::add);
+            this.clearUserCaches(user);
+            log.debug("Changed Information for User: {}", user);
+            UserDTO newUserDTO =  new UserDTO(user, getUpdatedUserDetails(
+                user, userDTO.getLicenseType(), userDTO.getJobTitle(), userDTO.getCompanyName(), userDTO.getCompany(), new Gson().toJson(userDTO.getAdditionalInfo()), userDTO.getCity(), userDTO.getCountry()));
+            newUserDTO.setCompany(userDTO.getCompany());
+            return newUserDTO;
+        });
+        return updatedUserDTO;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Update all information for a specific user, and return the modified user.
      *
@@ -383,44 +424,7 @@ public User createUser(UserDTO userDTO, Optional<Integer> tokenValidDays, Option
      * @return updated user.
      */
     public Optional<UserDTO> updateUser(UserDTO userDTO) {
-        Optional<UserDTO> updatedUserDTO = Optional.of(userRepository
-            .findById(userDTO.getId()))
-            .filter(Optional::isPresent)
-            .map(Optional::get)
-            .map(user -> {
-                this.clearUserCaches(user);
-                user.setLogin(userDTO.getLogin().toLowerCase());
-                user.setFirstName(userDTO.getFirstName());
-                user.setLastName(userDTO.getLastName());
-                if (userDTO.getEmail() != null) {
-                    user.setEmail(userDTO.getEmail().toLowerCase());
-                }
-                user.setImageUrl(userDTO.getImageUrl());
-                user.setActivationKey(userDTO.getActivationKey());
-                user.setResetKey(userDTO.getResetKey());
-                user.setResetDate(userDTO.getResetDate());
-                if (userDTO.isActivated() != user.getActivated()) {
-                    user.setActivated(userDTO.isActivated());
-                    user.setActivationKey(null);
-                    user.setResetKey(null);
-                    user.setResetDate(null);
-                }
-                user.setLangKey(userDTO.getLangKey());
-                Set<Authority> managedAuthorities = user.getAuthorities();
-                managedAuthorities.clear();
-                userDTO.getAuthorities().stream()
-                    .map(authorityRepository::findById)
-                    .filter(Optional::isPresent)
-                    .map(Optional::get)
-                    .forEach(managedAuthorities::add);
-                this.clearUserCaches(user);
-                log.debug("Changed Information for User: {}", user);
-                UserDTO newUserDTO =  new UserDTO(user, getUpdatedUserDetails(
-                    user, userDTO.getLicenseType(), userDTO.getJobTitle(), userDTO.getCompanyName(), userDTO.getCompany(), new Gson().toJson(userDTO.getAdditionalInfo()), userDTO.getCity(), userDTO.getCountry()));
-                newUserDTO.setCompany(userDTO.getCompany());
-                return newUserDTO;
-            });
-
+        Optional<UserDTO> updatedUserDTO = updateUserFromUserDTO(userDTO);
 
         if (updatedUserDTO.isPresent()) {
             if (updatedUserDTO.get().isActivated()) {
@@ -438,6 +442,10 @@ public Optional<UserDTO> updateUser(UserDTO userDTO) {
         return updatedUserDTO;
     }
 
+    public Optional<UserDTO> updateUserBeforeTrialAccountActivation(UserDTO userDTO) {
+        return updateUserFromUserDTO(userDTO);
+    }
+
     private UserDetails getUpdatedUserDetails(User user, LicenseType licenseType, String jobTitle, String companyName, CompanyDTO companyDTO, String additionalInfo, String city, String country) {
         Optional<UserDetails> userDetails = userDetailsRepository.findOneByUser(user);
         LicenseType alignedLicenseType = companyDTO != null ? companyDTO.getLicenseType() : licenseType;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/CompanyResource.java b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/CompanyResource.java
index d363c146a..e12986959 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/CompanyResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/CompanyResource.java
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.web.rest;
 
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.domain.Company;
+import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.domain.enumeration.LicenseType;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.repository.CompanyRepository;
+import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.security.AuthoritiesConstants;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.service.CompanyService;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.service.UserService;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.web.rest.errors.BadRequestAlertException;
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
  * REST controller for managing {@link org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.domain.Company}.
@@ -102,6 +105,18 @@ public ResponseEntity<CompanyDTO> updateCompany(@Valid @RequestBody CompanyVM co
         }
 
         CompanyDTO result = companyService.updateCompany(companyVM);
+
+        if (!result.getLicenseType().equals(LicenseType.ACADEMIC)) {
+            List<UserDTO> usersInCompany = userService.getCompanyUsers(result.getId());
+            for (UserDTO user : usersInCompany) {
+                Set<String> userAuthorities = user.getAuthorities();
+                if (!userAuthorities.contains(AuthoritiesConstants.API)) {
+                    userAuthorities.add(AuthoritiesConstants.API);
+                    userService.updateUser(user);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         return ResponseEntity.ok()
             .body(result);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/SlackController.java b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/SlackController.java
index 1bd7f2956..be5bda2ff 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/SlackController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/SlackController.java
@@ -125,9 +125,17 @@ public ResponseEntity<String> approveUser(@RequestParam("payload") String action
                             mailService.sendApiAccessApprovalEmail(userDTO);
                         }
                         break;
-                    case GIVE_TRIAL_ACCESS:
+                    case GIVE_TRIAL_ACCESS: 
                         user = userService.initiateTrialAccountActivation(login);
                         userDTO = userMapper.userToUserDTO(user.get());
+
+                        updateUserWithRoleApiIfRequested(userDTO);
+                        
+                        Optional<UserDTO> updatedTrialUser = userService.updateUserBeforeTrialAccountActivation(userDTO);
+                        if (updatedTrialUser.isPresent()) {
+                            userDTO = updatedTrialUser.get();
+                        }
+
                         mailService.sendActiveTrialMail(userDTO, false);
                         break;
                     case CHANGE_LICENSE_TYPE:
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/UserResource.java b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/UserResource.java
index 1e27e6fdc..653da60f1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/UserResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/oncokb/web/rest/UserResource.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.config.Constants;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.domain.Token;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.domain.User;
+import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.domain.enumeration.LicenseType;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.repository.UserRepository;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.security.AuthoritiesConstants;
 import org.mskcc.cbio.oncokb.service.MailService;
@@ -126,7 +127,12 @@ public ResponseEntity<User> createUser(@Valid @RequestBody ManagedUserVM managed
             // Assign ROLE_USER to all new accounts
             // All other authorities can be updated in the user management page
             if (managedUserVM.getAuthorities() == null || managedUserVM.getAuthorities().isEmpty()) {
-                managedUserVM.setAuthorities(Collections.singleton(AuthoritiesConstants.USER));
+                Set<String> authorities = new LinkedHashSet<>();
+                authorities.add(AuthoritiesConstants.USER);
+                if (!managedUserVM.getLicenseType().equals(LicenseType.ACADEMIC)) {
+                    authorities.add(AuthoritiesConstants.API);
+                }
+                managedUserVM.setAuthorities(Collections.unmodifiableSet(authorities));
             }
             User newUser = userService.createUser(managedUserVM, Optional.ofNullable(managedUserVM.getTokenValidDays()), Optional.ofNullable(managedUserVM.getTokenIsRenewable()));
             UserDTO newUserDTO = userMapper.userToUserDTO(newUser);