diff --git a/src/controllers/userController.ts b/src/controllers/userController.ts
index a3b17e2..3134dc9 100644
--- a/src/controllers/userController.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/userController.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   CALENDAR_MAX_SERVICE_DURATION,
   CALENDAR_MIN_EARLIEST_BOOKING_TIME,
   EMAIL_VERIFICATION_STATE,
+  PAYMENT_PLAN,
   Roles,
   USER_ANALYTICS_ENABLED_DEFAULT,
 } from "../utils/constants";
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ export async function SignUp(req: Request, res: Response) {
       language: language,
       analytics_enabled: USER_ANALYTICS_ENABLED_DEFAULT,
       state: ACCOUNT_STATE.PENDING_EMAIL_VERIFICATION,
+      payment_plan: PAYMENT_PLAN.DEMO,
     });
 
     res.status(200).send({ msg: "success" });
@@ -307,6 +309,7 @@ export async function GetUser(req: Request, res: Response) {
         "store_id",
         "language",
         "analytics_enabled",
+        "payment_plan",
         "created_at",
       ],
     });
@@ -331,6 +334,7 @@ export async function GetUser(req: Request, res: Response) {
         //store_id: user.store_id,
         language: user.language,
         analytics_enabled: user.analytics_enabled,
+        payment_plan: user.payment_plan,
       },
       stores: stores,
       // only temporary until we have a proper permissions system
@@ -383,6 +387,7 @@ export async function GetUser(req: Request, res: Response) {
         language: string;
         analytics_enabled: boolean;
         account_plan_expiry: Date;
+        payment_plan: number;
       };
     }
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/usersController.ts b/src/controllers/usersController.ts
index d4af0f5..fda74c9 100644
--- a/src/controllers/usersController.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/usersController.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
 import User from "../models/user";
 import {
   ACCOUNT_STATE,
+  PAYMENT_PLAN_SETTINGS,
   Roles,
   USER_ANALYTICS_ENABLED_DEFAULT,
 } from "../utils/constants";
@@ -75,6 +76,34 @@ export async function AddEmployee(req: Request, res: Response) {
       return res.status(401).send({ err: "unauthorized" });
     }
 
+    // get payment plan of store owner
+
+    const storeOwner = await User.findOne({
+      where: {
+        user_id: store.owner_user_id,
+      },
+      attributes: ["payment_plan"],
+    });
+
+    if (!storeOwner) {
+      return res.status(400).send({ err: "invalid request" });
+    }
+
+    // check max employees limit by payment plan
+
+    const employees = await User.findAll({
+      where: {
+        store_id: storeId,
+      },
+    });
+
+    if (
+      employees.length - 1 >=
+      PAYMENT_PLAN_SETTINGS[storeOwner.payment_plan].maxEmployees
+    ) {
+      return res.status(400).send({ err: "invalid request" });
+    }
+
     // validate username and email
 
     email = email.toLowerCase();
@@ -112,6 +141,7 @@ export async function AddEmployee(req: Request, res: Response) {
       state: passwordSetOnInitLogging
         ? ACCOUNT_STATE.INIT_LOGIN
         : ACCOUNT_STATE.ACTIVE,
+      payment_plan: storeOwner.payment_plan,
     };
 
     if (!passwordSetOnInitLogging) {
@@ -142,6 +172,7 @@ export async function AddEmployee(req: Request, res: Response) {
         analytics_enabled: boolean;
         password: string;
         state: number;
+        payment_plan: number;
       };
     }
 
diff --git a/src/models/user.ts b/src/models/user.ts
index 4974148..b346b58 100644
--- a/src/models/user.ts
+++ b/src/models/user.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ interface UserAttributes {
   google_account_name?: string;
   google_account_picture?: string;
   analytics_enabled: boolean;
+  payment_plan: number;
 }
 
 class User extends Model<UserAttributes> implements UserAttributes {
@@ -31,9 +32,10 @@ class User extends Model<UserAttributes> implements UserAttributes {
   declare calendar_using_primary_calendar: boolean;
   declare language: string;
   declare state: number;
-  declare analytics_enabled: boolean;
   declare google_account_name: string;
   declare google_account_picture: string;
+  declare analytics_enabled: boolean;
+  declare payment_plan: number;
   declare created_at: Date;
 }
 
@@ -85,10 +87,6 @@ User.init(
       type: DataTypes.INTEGER,
       allowNull: false,
     },
-    analytics_enabled: {
-      type: DataTypes.BOOLEAN,
-      allowNull: false,
-    },
     google_account_name: {
       type: DataTypes.STRING,
       allowNull: true,
@@ -97,6 +95,14 @@ User.init(
       type: DataTypes.STRING,
       allowNull: true,
     },
+    analytics_enabled: {
+      type: DataTypes.BOOLEAN,
+      allowNull: false,
+    },
+    payment_plan: {
+      type: DataTypes.TINYINT,
+      allowNull: false,
+    },
   },
   {
     tableName: "users",
diff --git a/src/utils/constants.ts b/src/utils/constants.ts
index a174167..cdd7c3b 100644
--- a/src/utils/constants.ts
+++ b/src/utils/constants.ts
@@ -82,3 +82,19 @@ export const PASSPORT_FAILURE_REDIRECT_URL = `${DASHBOARD_URL}/store/calendar/au
 export const PASSPORT_SUCCESS_REDIRECT_URL = `${DASHBOARD_URL}/store/calendar/auth/finish`;
 export const ACCOUNT_EXPORT_URL = `${DASHBOARD_URL}/v1/user/profile/export/`;
 export const TERMIN_PLANNER_URL = process.env.TERMIN_PLANNER_URL;
+
+export enum PAYMENT_PLAN {
+  DEMO = 0,
+  BASIC = 1,
+}
+
+export const PAYMENT_PLAN_SETTINGS = [
+  {
+    //id: PAYMENT_PLAN.DEMO,
+    maxEmployees: 5,
+  },
+  {
+    //id: PAYMENT_PLAN.BASIC,
+    maxEmployees: 15,
+  },
+];