diff --git a/resources/views/checkout/confirmation.blade.php b/resources/views/checkout/confirmation.blade.php
index ae97d87..466b117 100644
--- a/resources/views/checkout/confirmation.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/checkout/confirmation.blade.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
         <dl class="bbk-confirmation-meta">
             <div class="bbk-confirmation-meta-row">
                 <dt>{{ __('checkout.page.confirmation_order_number') }}</dt>
-                <dd>{{ $order->reference }}</dd>
+                <dd>{{ \Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order) }}</dd>
             </div>
 
             @if ($order->billingAddress?->contact_email)
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCapturedNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCapturedNotification.php
index 87f59ab..0d2a444 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCapturedNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCapturedNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderCaptured;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 class OrderCapturedNotification extends BaseNotification
 {
@@ -40,10 +41,12 @@ class OrderCapturedNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Payment captured for your order :reference', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Payment captured for your order :reference', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.captured', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
                 'amount' => $this->event->transaction->amount->formatted,
             ]);
     }
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCompletedNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCompletedNotification.php
index 14ef7cd..7be46e0 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCompletedNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderCompletedNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderCompleted;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 class OrderCompletedNotification extends BaseNotification
 {
@@ -40,10 +41,12 @@ class OrderCompletedNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is complete', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is complete', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.completed', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
             ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDeliveredNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDeliveredNotification.php
index 8c68d47..84931e8 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDeliveredNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDeliveredNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderDelivered;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 class OrderDeliveredNotification extends BaseNotification
 {
@@ -40,10 +41,12 @@ class OrderDeliveredNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Your order :reference has been delivered', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Your order :reference has been delivered', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.delivered', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
             ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDispatchedNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDispatchedNotification.php
index 46bc43c..ac32ed8 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDispatchedNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderDispatchedNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderDispatched;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 /**
  * Fills a real, previously-unfilled customer-communication gap — before
@@ -45,10 +46,12 @@ class OrderDispatchedNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is on its way', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is on its way', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.dispatched', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
             ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPickupReadyNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPickupReadyNotification.php
index 49c5844..b3b108b 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPickupReadyNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPickupReadyNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderReadyForPickup;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 /**
  * "Your order is ready to collect" — listens to the specific
@@ -50,10 +51,12 @@ class OrderPickupReadyNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is ready for pickup', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is ready for pickup', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.pickup-ready', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
             ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPlacedNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPlacedNotification.php
index b2138c3..c9d32ba 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPlacedNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderPlacedNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Checkout\Events\OrderPlaced;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 /**
  * The order confirmation email — fires once, for every capture_mode and
@@ -51,10 +52,12 @@ class OrderPlacedNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is confirmed', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Your order :reference is confirmed', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.placed', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
                 'total' => $order->total->formatted,
                 'lines' => $order->lines,
             ]);
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderRefundedNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderRefundedNotification.php
index b5a4d3e..d494e5f 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderRefundedNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderRefundedNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderRefunded;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 class OrderRefundedNotification extends BaseNotification
 {
@@ -40,10 +41,12 @@ class OrderRefundedNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('A refund has been issued for your order :reference', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('A refund has been issued for your order :reference', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.refunded', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
                 'amount' => $this->event->transaction->amount->formatted,
             ]);
     }
diff --git a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderStatusUpdatedNotification.php b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderStatusUpdatedNotification.php
index 099c0a0..ac7dcf9 100644
--- a/src/Order/Notifications/OrderStatusUpdatedNotification.php
+++ b/src/Order/Notifications/OrderStatusUpdatedNotification.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Illuminate\Notifications\Messages\MailMessage;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Notification as NotificationFacade;
 use Modules\Core\Notification\BaseNotification;
 use Modules\Core\Order\Events\OrderStatusUpdated;
+use Modules\Core\Order\Support\OrderReferenceDisplay;
 
 class OrderStatusUpdatedNotification extends BaseNotification
 {
@@ -52,10 +53,12 @@ class OrderStatusUpdatedNotification extends BaseNotification
     {
         $order = $this->event->order;
 
+        $reference = OrderReferenceDisplay::resolve($order);
+
         return (new MailMessage)
-            ->subject(__('Your order :reference has been updated', ['reference' => $order->reference]))
+            ->subject(__('Your order :reference has been updated', ['reference' => $reference]))
             ->view('core::order.notifications.status-updated', [
-                'reference' => $order->reference,
+                'reference' => $reference,
                 'statusLabel' => config("lunar.orders.statuses.{$order->status}.label", $order->status),
             ]);
     }
diff --git a/src/Order/Support/OrderReferenceDisplay.php b/src/Order/Support/OrderReferenceDisplay.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6e4556
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Order/Support/OrderReferenceDisplay.php
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Modules\Core\Order\Support;
+
+use Lunar\Models\Order;
+
+/**
+ * A shorter, human-facing form of Order::reference for emails/views —
+ * Lunar\Base\OrderReferenceGenerator pads the order's own id out to a fixed
+ * length (config('lunar.orders.reference_format'), 8 characters/'0'-padded
+ * by default), so a shop's first real orders read as "#00000001" rather
+ * than "#1". Strips leading zeros until the first non-zero digit; if
+ * nothing but zeros remain (or the reference is empty), shows "0".
+ *
+ * $order->reference itself is untouched anywhere else (DB lookups, the
+ * order-status API, staff search) — this is purely a display helper.
+ */
+class OrderReferenceDisplay
+{
+    public static function resolve(Order $order): string
+    {
+        $reference = ltrim((string) $order->reference, '0');
+
+        return $reference !== '' ? $reference : '0';
+    }
+}